Synthesis of SnO2 tubular nanostructures on top of a silicon nitride surface using polymeric templates and their characterization as gas sensor

A. G. LEYVA; M. GRANADA; D. F. RODRÍGUEZ; H. E. TROIANI

JOURNAL OF NANOPARTICLE RESEARCH

SPRINGER

Año: 2011 vol. 13 p. 5129 - 5134

1388-0764

Uniform polycrystalline SnO2 microtubes formed by sintered nanoparticles (fixed to a surface or in free standing form) were obtained with the infiltration technique using SnCl4 as precursor and a porous polycarbonate (PC) film as template. The advantage of this synthesis method was based on its simplicity, reproducibility, low cost, and the possible applicability to other complex oxides. The morphol- ogy and crystal structure of SnO2 tubes were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The crystalline sizes of the nanoparticles assembled in the tube walls obtained at 600 °C were in the range of 5–7 nm, calculated from both the XRD and the TEM data. The length of the microtubes fixed to a silicon nitride surface ranged between 2 and 7lm. Sensors fabricated with this material showed unusual sensi- tivity to ethanol at room temperature and fast reversible response, as compared to those obtained by the deposition of metallic tin film and further oxidation (Rheotaxial Growth and Thermal Oxidation method).