Abstract
We report on the synthesis of SnO2 nanoparticles and SnO2:CNT hybrids, via a one-step solgel method. Herein, we investigate the influence of the synthesis conditions on their physical, chemical, optical and electrochemical properties. The crystalline structure, nanoparticle size and morphology are assessed by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. The chemical states are elucidated by X-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopies. Their electrochemical behavior is studied by cyclic voltammetry. Overall, an oxygen-poor environment during the synthesis leads to smaller SnO2 nanoparticles, along with an increased number of surface defects. Photoluminescence spectroscopy demonstrates that under an oxygen-poor environment, bridging-oxygen vacancies are more abundant. Additionally, SnO2 nanoparticles containing a higher amount of oxygen vacancies exhibit a higher cycling stability of 90%. The cycling stability is further enhanced in hybrid SnO2:CNT. The electrochemical behavior is corroborated to the surface defects and in turn, the band bending mechanism in SnO2 n-type semiconductor.
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Acknowledgements
Dr. Elias Estephan is thanked for help with Raman spectroscopy. The authors acknowledge the following funding sources, Horizon EU NFFA pilot project ID 312, ETAG Grant PRG2115 and EMU baseline funding P200030VLVB.
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Ponte, R., Rauwel, E. & Rauwel, P. Surface-defect tailoring in SnO2 (CNT) nanomaterials via sol-gel routes and its influence on the cycling stability. J Mater Sci (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09628-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10853-024-09628-y