In2O3-SnO2 nano-toasts and nanorods: Precipitation preparation, formation mechanism, and gas sensitive properties

In2O3-SnO2 nanocomposites with controllable morphologies were prepared via a co-precipitation method. The experimental results indicated that variation of In/Sn ratios facilitated the modification of In2O3-SnO2 morphology from nanoparticles to nano-toasts and nanorods that possess ultrahigh response and selectivity to ethanol. The results demonstrate the possibility to synthesize one-dimensional and two-dimensional oxide nanocomposites under mild conditions, showing that a soft chemistry route is a promising route for rationally and structurally designing nanomaterials. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.