Rapid synthesis of nanocrystalline SnO2 by a microwave-assisted combustion method

Abstract

A facile and rapid microwave-assisted combustion method was used to synthesis nanocrystalline SnO2 powders, through dissolution of tin nitrate (as oxidant) and glycine (as fuel) as starting materials and water as solvent and then heating the resulting solution in a microwave oven. The study suggested that application of microwave heating to produce the nanosize SnO2 was achieved in a few minutes. The structure and morphology of the as-prepared combustion products were investigated by means of powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectra confirmed the formation of tetragonal rutile structure SnO2, and the SEM results indicated the surface characteristic of the products. The as-prepared powders have larger band gap energy as 3.67 eV.