Antimony-doped SnO2 nanoparticles-decorated TiO2 composite with enhanced electrical properties

Abstract

Antimony-doped tin dioxide (ATO)-coated TiO2 (TiO2@ATO) composite was synthesized by a polymeric precursor method with lactic acid as the chelating agent. The structural and morphological characterizations of the as-fabricatied TiO2@ATO composite were investigated by XRD, FTIR, SEM, TEM and XPS. The resistivity was also examined by electrical resistance measurements. The theoretical calculations were introduced for elucidating the change of bandgap from the microscopic level. The results showed that the lowest resistivity of TiO2@ATO composite they could be achieved was 1.69 [Formula: see text]. TiO2@ATO composite possessed a core–shell structure with the ATO shell thickness of 13–16[Formula: see text]nm. The as-prepared ATO nanoparticles were in rutile phase and with 4.3–7.0[Formula: see text]nm in diameter (calcinated at 550∘C). The ATO grain growth during the calcination process could be viewed as consisting of two stages: the activation energies were calculated to be [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]kJ/mol and [Formula: see text][Formula: see text]kJ/mol, respectively.