Large-scale synthesis of porous yolk-shell structured In2O3 using indium(III) benzophenone-4,4′-dicarboxylate sub-microspheres as precursors

Porous yolk-shell In2O3 was successfully prepared via a two-step method. Indium(III) benzophenone-4,4'-dicarboxylate (In-BPnDC) sub-microspheres with an average diameter of similar to 250 nm were first obtained on a large scale via a simple solution reaction. Then, porous yolk-shell structured In2O3 particles were prepared by annealing In-BPnDC complexes. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM). The as-obtained In2O3 showed a BET specific surface area of 33.17 m(2)/g and a mesoporous structure according to nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments. In addition, the Raman spectra and room-temperature photoluminescence of In(2)O(3)yolk-shell structures were also studied. (c) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.