Synthesis of nanodiamond-SnO2 core-shell nanocomposite and its application for nitrite electrooxidation

Nanodiamond-supported crystalline SnO2 nanoparticles (SnO2/ND) were successfully synthesized from ND-dispersed SnCl4 center dot 5H(2)O aqueous solution via the isothermal hydrolyzing method at 60 degrees C. The XRD and TEM results showed that SnO2 layer was composed of rutile nanocrystals rather than amorphous clusters and the different hydrolyzing parameters did not change the phase structure, but the concentration and the reaction time affected the morphology of SnO2 coating. The nitrite electrooxidation experiments indicated that the SnO2 prepared with low concentration and short reaction time had ellipsoid shape and small particle size, leading to better electrocatalytic activity. And the UV irradiation could reduce the resistance of the electrode, accelerate the electron transfer capacity and increase the catalytic activity of nitrite oxidation.