Synthesis and characterization of bismuth-doped tin dioxide nanometer powders

Bismuth-doped tin dioxide nanometer powders were prepared by co-precipitation method using SnCl4 and Bi（NO3）3 as raw materials. The effects of calcining temperature and doping ratio on the particle size, composition, spectrum selectivity of bismuth-doped tin dioxide and the phase transition of Bi-Sn precursor at different temperatures were studied by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visual-near infrared diffuse reflection spectrum and the thermogravimetric-differential scanning calorimetry. The results show that prepared bismuth-doped tin dioxide powders have excellent characteristics with a single-phase tetragonal structure, good dispersibility, good absorbency for ultraviolet ray and average particle size less than 10 nm. The optimum conditions for preparing bismuth-doped tin dioxide nanometer powders are as follows: calcining temperature of 600℃, ratio of bismuth-doped in a range of 0.10-0.30, and Bi-Sn precursor being dispersed by ultrasonic wave and refluxed azeotropic and distillated with mixture of n-butanol and benzene. The mechanism of phase transition of Bi-Sn precursor is that Bi 3+ enters Sn-vacancy and then forms Sn—O—Bi bond.

Tin dioxide buffer layer-assisted efficiency and stability of wide-bandgap inverted perovskite solar cells

Inverted perovskite solar cells(IPSCs) have attracted tremendous research interest in recent years due to their applications in perovskite/silicon tandem solar cells. However, further performance improvements and long-term stability issues are the main obstacles that deeply hinder the development of devices. Herein, we demonstrate a facile atomic layer deposition(ALD) processed tin dioxide(SnO2) as an additional buffer layer for efficient and stable wide-bandgap IPSCs. The additional buffer layer increases the shunt resistance and reduces the reverse current saturation density, resulting in the enhancement of efficiency from 19.23% to 21.13%. The target device with a bandgap of 1.63 eV obtains open-circuit voltage of 1.19 V, short circuit current density of 21.86 mA/cm^(2), and fill factor of 81.07%. More importantly, the compact and stable SnO_(2) film invests the IPSCs with superhydrophobicity, thus significantly enhancing the moisture resistance. Eventually, the target device can maintain 90% of its initial efficiency after 600 h storage in ambient conditions with relative humidity of 20%–40% without encapsulation. The ALD-processed SnO_(2) provides a promising way to boost the efficiency and stability of IPSCs, and a great potential for perovskite-based tandem solar cells in the near future.

Low temperature H_2S sensor based on copper oxide/tin dioxide thick film

Nanostructured tin dioxide （SnO2） powders were prepared by a sol-gel dialytic process and and the doping of CuO on it was completed by a deposition-precipitation method.The thick film sensors were fabricated from the CuO/SnO2 polycrystalline powders.Sensing behavior of the sensor was investigated with various gases including CO,H2,NH3,hexane,acetone,ethanol,methanol and H2S in air.The as-synthesized gas sensor had much better response to H2S than to other gases.At the same time,the CuO/SnO2 sensor had enough sensitivity,together with fast response and recovery,to distinguish H2S from those gases at 160 and 210 ℃.Therefore,it might have promising applications in the future.

Copper Ion Beam Irradiation-Induced Effects on Structural,Morphological and Optical Properties of Tin Dioxide Nanowires

The 0.8 Me V copper （ Cu） ion beam irradiation-induced effects on structural, morphological and optical properties of tin dioxide nanowires （Sn02 NWs） are investigated. The samples are irradiated at three different doses 5 × 10^12 ions/cm2, 1 ×10^13 ions/cm2 and 5 × 10^13 ions/em2 at room temperature. The XRD analysis shows that the tetragonal phase of Sn02 NWs remains stable after Cu ion irradiation, but with increasing irradiation dose level the crystal size increases due to ion beam induced coalescence of NWs. The FTIR spectra of pristine Sn02 NWs exhibit the chemical composition of SnO2 while the Cn-O bond is also observed in the FTIR spectra after Cu ion beam irradiation. The presence of Cu impurity in SnO2 is further confirmed by calculating the stopping range of Cu ions by using TRM/SRIM code. Optical properties of SnO2 NWs are studied before and after Cu ion irradiation. Band gap analysis reveMs that the band gap of irradiated samples is found to decrease compared with the pristine sample. Therefore, ion beam irradiation is a promising technology for nanoengineering and band gap tailoring.

Large Mesoporous Tin Dioxide Powders for Gas Sensor Materials-Effects of Various Additives on the Mesostructure and the H_2 Sensing Properties

Preparation of large mesoporous tin dioxide (lm-SnO_2) under various conditions was attempted by utilizing a self-assembly of a triblock copolymer,P123:(EO)_(20)(PO)_(70)(EO)_(20) or F127:(EO)_(106)(PO)_(70)(EO)_(106)(EO:ethylene oxide and PO: propylene oxide).The sensor fabricated from calcined lm-SnO_2 powder,which had been prepared by using P123 as a template,Na_2SnO_3 as a tin source,and TEOS as an additive ([TEOS]/[Na_2SnO_3]=0.5 in the precursor solution),showed the largest response to 1×10^(-3) hydrogen at 350℃among the sensors tested.The existence of two kinds of SnO_2 particles with different sizes (ca.100 nm and several nm in diameter) may be important to improve the hydrogen sensing properties drastically.

Gadolinium doped tin dioxide nanoparticles: an efficient visible light active photocatalyst

Photocatalytic degradation of phenol with sol-gel prepared rare earth doped tin dioxide （SnO2） nanoparticles was reported. Gadolinium doped tin dioxide （SnO2：Gd） nanoparticles were found to absorb higher visible light compared to lanthanum, neodymium and cerium doped materials that were studied in detail. Photocatalytic degradation of phenol under artificial white light and sunlight in the presence of SnO2：Gd nanoparticles was studied with high performance liquid chromatography （HPLC）, capillary electrophoresis （CE）, total organic carbon （TOC） measurements and the determination of chemical oxygen demand （COD）. Clear correlations be- tween the results obtained from these multiple measurements were found, and a kinetic pathway for the degradation process was pro- posed. Within 150 min of solar irradiation, the TOC of a 10 ppm phenol solution in water was reduced by 95%-99%, thus demon- strating that SnO2：Gd nanoparticles are efficient visible light photocatalysts.

Real-time in situ TEM studying the fading mechanism of tin dioxide nanowire electrodes in lithium ion batteries

Fading mechanism of tin dioxide （SnO2） electrodes in lithium ion batteries has attracted much attentions, which is of great importance for the battery applications. In this paper, electrochemical lithiation-delithiation cycles of individual SnO2 nanowires were conducted in situ in a high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Major changes in volume with expan- sions of 170%~300% on SnO2 nanowire electrodes were observed during the first lithiation process in electrochemical cycling, including conversion reaction of SnO2 precursor to Li20 matrix and active lithium host Sn, and alloying of Sn with Li to form brittle Li-Sn alloy. SnO2 nanowire electrodes were inclined to suffer from thermal runaway condition in the first two cycles. During cycling, morphology and composition evolution of SnO2 nanowire electrodes were recorded. Cyclic lithiation and del- ithiation of the electrode demonstrated the phase transition between Lii3Sn5 and Sn. Metallic Sn clusters were formed and their sizes enlarged with increasing cycle times. Detrimental aggregation of Sn clusters caused pulverization in SnO2 nanowire elec- trodes, which broke the conduction and transport path for electrons and lithium ions. The real-time in situ TEM revealed fading mechanism provides important guidelines for the viable design of the SnO2 nanowire electrodes in lithium ion batteries.

Recent research situation in tin dioxide nanomaterials： synthesis, microstructures, and properties

This review article summarizes the new research in solid-state physical chemistry understanding of the microstructure characteristics of semiconductor tin oxide thin films made in the last years in our group. The work mainly focuses on the fabrication technology of semiconductor tin oxides thin films by using pulsed laser deposition （PLD） as well as the application of this technology on new micro- and nanostructured materials. It is an interdisciplinary work that integrates the areas of physics, chemistry and materials science.

Synthesis of mesoporous tin dioxide via sol-gel process assisted by resorcinol-formaldehyde gel

Tin dioxide is a useful n-type oxide semiconductor used in a variety of applications owing to its superior optical, electrical, and multifunctional properties. Here, we used a network of resorcinol-formaldehyde （RF） gel to synthesize mesoporous tin dioxide via a sol-gel process. The effects of various synthesis parameters on the morphology and mesoporosity of the obtained product were investigated, including aging time of the RF gel, tin-to-formaldehyde molar ratio, resorcinol-to-carbonate molar ratio, and the aging time of the tin/RF mixed gel. Our experimental results showed that the interaction between the network of the RF gel and tin-containing sol is a key factor that affected the structural strength of the porous network and the porosity of the final product. Through control of the interactions in the tin/RF mixed gel we obtained porous tin dioxide materials that could be effectively used to form large-surface area films with desirable mesoporous properties.

Synthesis of Tin Oxide Through Thermal Decomposition of Sn_2(NH_4)_2(C_2O_4)_3 and Its Gas Sensing Property

Nanocrystalline tin oxide samples were prepared by using Sn2 （NH4 ）2 （C2O4）3 as the precursor. The thermal decompositions were respectively conducted at 250,450 and 650 ℃. TG-DTA, XRD, TEM, FTIR were used to characterize the samples. The indirect heating sensors by using these materials as sensitive bodies were fabricated on an alumina tube with Au electrodes and platinum wires. Sensing properties of these sensors were investigated. It was found that the tin oxide sample obtained by thermal decomposition at 450 ℃ has a higher sensitivity to C2H5OH and a higher selectivity to hexane and ammonia than those obtained via the conventional precipitate method and the working temperatures needed were greatly decreased.

Photocatalytic degradation of Acid Blue 62 over CuO-SnO_2 nanocomposite photocatalyst under simulated sunlight

The novel CuO-SnO2 nanocomposite oxide photocatalysts were prepared by simple co-precipitation method, and characterized by X- ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, N2 adsorption-desorption measurement and UV-Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activities of CuO-SnO2, evaluated using the photodegradation of Acid Blue 62 as a probe reaction under the irradiation of Xenon light, were also found to be related to the calcination temperature and the molar ratio of Cu to Sn. The maximum photocatalytic activity of the CuO-SnO2 photocatalyst was observed to be calcined at 500~C for 3 h （the molar ratio of Cu to Sn was 1：1） due to the sample with good crystallization and high surface area. It also showed much higher photocatalytic activity in treatment dye wastewater under simulated sunlight irradiation compared to Degussa P25 TiO2.

Effect of SnO_2 intermediate layer on performance of Ti/SnO_2/MnO_2 electrode during electrolytic-manganese process

SnO2intermediate layers were coated on the titanium(Ti)substrate by thermal decomposition.Scanning electronmicroscope(SEM)and X-ray diffraction(XRD)results show that uniform SnO2intermediate layers with rutile crystal structure weresuccessfully achieved.According to the results of linear sweep voltammetry(LSV),oxygen evolution potential(OEP)of theTi/SnO2/MnO2electrodes decreases with increasing SnO2content,indicating that the electro-catalytic oxidation activity of theelectrode increases.Accelerated service life tests results demonstrate that SnO2intermediate layer can improve the service life of theTi/SnO2/MnO2electrode.As the content of SnO2intermediate layer increases,the cell voltage and the energy consumption decreaseapparently.

Electrochemically exfoliated graphene as high-performance catalyst support to promote electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol on Pt catalysts

Electrochemically exfoliated graphene(EEG)is a kind of high-quality graphene with few oxygen-containing functional groups and defects on the surface,and thereby is more suitable as catalyst support than other carbon materials such as extensively used reduced graphene oxide(rGO).However,it is difficult to grow functional materials on EEG due to its inert surface.In this work,ultra-small Pt nanocrystals(~2.6 nm)are successfully formed on EEG and show better electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation than Pt catalysts on r GO.The outstanding catalytic properties of Pt catalysts on EEG can be attributed to the fast electron transfer through EEG and high quality of Pt catalysts such as small grain size,high dispersibility and low oxidation ratio.In addition,SnO2 nanocrystals are controllably generated around Pt catalysts on EEG to raise the poison tolerance of Pt catalysts through using glycine as a linker.Owing to its outstanding properties such as high electrical conductivity and mechanical strength,EEG is expected to be widely used as a novel support for catalysts.

Synthesis of SnO_2 nanorods from aqueous solution:The effect of preparation conditions on the formed patterns

SnO2 nanorods were deposited on the Si substrates in an aqueous solution containing both SnCl4 and CO（NH2）2.It is found that different self-assembled patterns of SnO2 nanorods can be obtained by changing the deposition conditions such as the molar ratio of CO（NH2）2 to SnCl4 and the pretreatment of the substrate.Scattered SnO2 nanorods,for example,can be changed into flower-like patterns when the molar ratio of CO（NH2）2 to SnCl4 is raised,and well-aligned nanorod arrays can be formed when the pretreatment of the substrate is changed.In addition,some interesting patterns,e.g.tree-like patterns,can also be observed.

Soft template synthesis of high selectivity mesoporous SnO_2 gas sensors

Mesoporous SnO2 was synthesized using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide （CTAB） as supermolecule-template by hydrothermal method followed by calcining under different temperature in air. X-ray diffraction analysis （XRD） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM） techniques were used to characterize the structure of mesoporous SnO2. The results indicated that the gas sensors prepared by using mesoporous SnO2 after calcination at 400 ℃ showed quick response and recovery to ethanol at 200 ℃. It was also found that the mesostructure SnO2 with small particle size had higher sensitivity and selectivity to C2HhOH than the SnO2 nanoparticles the particle size of which is 20 nm synthesized by sol-gel method.

Preparation and characterization of oil-soluble In_2O_3 nanoparticles and In_2O_3–SnO_2 nanocomposites and their calcined thin films

Oil-soluble In2O3 nanoparticles and In2O3-SnO2 nanocomposites were prepared in oleylamine via decomposition of metal acety- lacetonate precursors. Thin films of In2O3 and In2O3-SnO2 were obtained by spin-coating solutions of the oil-soluble In2O3 nanoparticles and In2O3-SnO2 nanocomposites onto substrates and then calcining them. Transmission electron microspectroscopy, scanning electron mi- crospectroscopy, atomic force microspectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible absorption, and photoluminescence spectroscopy were used to investigate the properties of the nanoparticles and thin films. The In2O3 nanoparticles were cubic-phased spheres with a diame- ter of-8 nm; their spectra exhibited a broad emission peak centered at 348 nm. The In2O3-SnO2 nanocomposites were co-particles composed of smaller In2O3 particles and larger SnO2 particles; their spectra exhibited a broad emission peak at 355 nm. After the In2O3-SnO2 nano- composites were calcined at 400℃, the obtained thin films were highly transparent and conductive, with a thickness of 30-40 nm; the sur- faces of the thin films were smooth and crack-free.

Preparation of High-Surface-Area SnO_2 and ZrO_2 by Reflux-Digestion and Solvothermal Methods

The influence of the preparation methods on the properties of SnO_2 and ZrO_2 powders,especially the specific surface area and the stability upon calcination was investigated.SnO_2 and ZrO_2 prepared by chemical precipitation using reflux-digestion process with NaOH possess high surface area at the calcination temperature of 500℃～1000℃.A novel solvothermal process in the presence of urea was used to synthesize nanocrystalline SnO_2 powders excluding the adulteration of Si.As increasing the concentration of urea,the grain size of the as-prepared powders reduced and the surface area increased. SnO_2 nanocrystals with a grain size of ca.1 nm and a high surface area of 331 m^2g^(-1) were obtained by this method.These high-surface-area powders are favorable for gas-sensing and catalysis applications,and the development of an advanced material for structural engineering ceramics.

Synthesis and Gas-sensing Performance of Nanosized SnO_2

Nanosized tin dioxide particles were prepared by sol-gel dialytic processes with tin(Ⅳ) chloride and alcohol as start materials. The nanoparticles of tin dioxide were charactered by thermogravimetry and differential thermal analysis(TG-DTA), X-ray diffraction(XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and BET. The results show that the average diameter of tin dioxide particles dried at 353 K was about 2 nm. Even if the tin dioxide particles were calcined at 873 K, the average diameter of particles was less than 10 nm. The removal of Cl- was solved by using this kind of method. The mechanism of the formation of tin dioxide nanosized particles was proposed and analyzed in this paper. We also measured the sensitivity of the sensor based on the tin oxide powder calcined at 673 K to NH 3, alcohol, acetone, hexane and CO. The gas-sensing performance results indicate that this sensor has a higher sensitivity to alcohol and acetone, and selectivity for NH 3, hexane and CO at an operating temperature of 343 K.

Spectroelectrochemical Investigation on Neutral Red

Neutral Red can be used as an indicator, a stain reagent or a mediator compound in the studies of biological redox systems. No reports dealing with the electrode process of Neutral Red, especially, about its kinetics have been published. In this paper we report the determinations of formal reduction potentials, the number of electrons transferred, diffusion coefficient as well as the rate constant of heterogeneous electron transfer

SnO_2 hollow spheres:Polymer bead-templated hydrothermal synthesis and their electrochemical properties for lithium storage

SnO2 hollow spheres have been synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method using sulfonated polystyrene beads as a template followed by a calcination process in air.X-ray diffraction,scanning electron microscopy,and transmission electron microscopy show that the as-obtained SnO2 hollow spheres have a wall thickness of about 50 nm,and consist of nanosized SnO2 particles with a mean diameter of about 15 nm.Electrochemical measurements indicate that the SnO2 hollow spheres exhibit improved electrochemical performance in terms of specific capacity and rate capability in comparison with commercial SnO2 when used as anode materials for lithium-ion batteries.The enhanced performance may be attributed to the spherical and hollow structure,as well as the building blocks of SnO2 nanoparticles.