XRD and TEM studies on tin oxide(II) nanoparticles prepared by inert gas condensation

In inert gas condensation (IGC) evaporation-condensation processing, the effects of IGC convection gas on the crystallographic structure, size and shape of tin oxide nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The phase transformation of tin oxide (II) nanoparticles was also studied after heat treatment at 320 degreesC. IGC processing was conducted at 1000 degreesC for 1 h. Oxygen or oxygen and helium mixed gas were used as the convection gas. Metastable tetragonal SnO nanoparticles were obtained at 0.02 kPa of P-O2 and P(He + O2). The amorphous SnO nanoparticles prepared at 1.3 kPa of P-O2 and P(Hc + O2) were explained by the rapid quenching effect of the evaporated nanoclusters. The resultant nanoparticles size was about 10 nm with a round shape. The metastable tetragonal SnO nanoparticles were almost transformed to a stable tetragonal SnO2 after heat treatment at 320 degreesC. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.