Preparation and characterization of SnO2 nanoparticles by hydrothermal route

This paper demonstrates the synthesis of SnO2 nanoparticles using a simple hydrothermal route in the presence of the surfactant hydrazine at 100 °C for 12 h. X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize the as-prepared product, and optical property was studied by UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS). The XRD pattern of the as-prepared sample is indexed to the tetragonal structure of SnO2, and the calculated particle size is 22.4 nm, which is further confirmed by TEM. The selected area electron diffraction patterns showed continuous ring patterns without any additional diffraction spots and rings of secondary phases, revealing their crystalline structure. Analysis of the DRS spectrum showed the bandgap of the synthesized SnO2 to be 3.6 eV. The anionic surfactant hydrazine plays a key role in the formation of the SnO2 nanostructures. A probable reaction for the formation of SnO2 nanoparticles is proposed.