Synthesis of SnO2 micro-spheres, nano-rods and nano-flowers via simple hydrothermal route

SnO2 micro-spheres (0.5 - 2 mu m diameter), nano-flowers (petal size: 100-250 nm diameter; 500 nm 2 mu m length) and nano-rods (3-6 nm diameter; 10-30 nm length) were synthesized by hydrothermal route. The samples were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The influence of precursor, hydrothermal temperature and treatment time on the formation of SnO2 multi-morphology was also investigated. Moreover, a possible formation mechanism and relationships among morphologies were discussed. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.