Publication:
3D and 2D growth of SnO₂ nanostructures on Ga₂O₃ nanowires: synthesis and structural characterization

Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Full text at PDC
Publication Date
2017-11-07
Advisors (or tutors)
Editors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
RSC Royal Society of Chemistry
Citations
Google Scholar
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Abstract
In this work, a simple thermal evaporation method has been used to obtain a variety of Ga₂O₃/SnO₂ nano-assemblies with different shapes and dimensionalities, which may affect their physical properties, especially those influenced by surface properties. The obtained nanostructures have been characterized using electron microscopy-related techniques in order to understand their growth mechanisms. By using both metallic gallium and tin oxide powders as precursors, Ga₂O₃ nanowires (straight or branched) decorated with SnO₂ nanoparticles or SnO₂ quasi-two dimensional plates have been produced after dynamic thermal annealing for 2.5, 8.0 and 15.0 hours. For shorter treatments, accumulation of Sn atoms at the Ga₂O₃ nanowire surface or defect planes has been observed by high resolution TEM, which suggests that they could act as nucleation sites for the further growth of SnO₂. On the other hand, longer treatments promote the formation of Ga-doped SnO2 belts, from which SnO₂ nanowires eventually emerge. High-resolution TEM imaging and microanalysis reveal that Ga accumulation at (200) SnO₂ planes could stabilize some non-stoichiometric or intermediate tin oxide phases, such as Sn₂O₃, at local areas in the belts. The presence of non-stoichiometric tin oxide is relevant in applications, since surface states affect the physical-chemical behavior of tin oxide.
Description
© The Royal Society of Chemistry 20xx. This  work  has  been  supported  by  MINECO  (projects  CSD 2009‐2013,  MAT  2012‐31959,  MAT  2015‐65274‐R‐FEDER). We  thank  Richard  Beanland  for  his  advice  at  Warwick University. M. A‐O acknowledges financial support from MEC  (FPU  contract).  B.M  acknowledges  the  mobility  Grant  supported  by  MEC  (PRX14/00134)  for  sabbatical  leave  at Warwick University.
Keywords
Citation
Collections