Hydrothermal growth mechanism of SnO2 nanorods in aqueous HCl

Abstract

Abstract Rutile-type nanorods of SnO2 were obtained in a one-pot hydrothermal synthesis starting from SnCl4·5H2O and HCl in a temperature range between 200 and 240°C. Although the nanorods are polydisperse, the average length of the nanorods could be adjusted from 13 to 65 nm by varying of the reaction temperature. The resulting anisotropic nanocrystals were characterized using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), (high resolution-) transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The particle growth proceeds via a dissolution-recrystallization process with soluble [SnCl5(H2O)]− intermediates, as confirmed by PXRD, Raman spectroscopy, and magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (MAS-NMR).