Preparation and microstructure characterization of a nano-sized Ti4+-doped AgSnO2 electrical contact material

A Ti4+-doped nano-structured AgSnO2 material was prepared using sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that Ti4+ cations are successfully doped into the crystal lattice of SnO2, and thus significantly improve the electrical conductivity of the sample. Furthermore, the coating of Ag on Ti4+-doped SnO2 nano-sized particles enhances the surface wettability and enables the resulting AgSnO2 material to have better mechanical properties.