Dispersible SnO2:Sb and TiO2 Nanocrystals After Calcination at High Temperature

High-temperature treatment of functional nanomaterials, through postsynthesis calcination, often represents an important step to unlock their full potential. However, such calcination steps usually severely limit the preparation of colloidal solutions of the nanoparticles due to the formation of sintered agglomerates. Herein, a simple route is reported to obtain colloidal solutions of calcined n-conductive antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) as well as titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles without the need for additional sacrificial materials. This is achieved by making use of the reduced contact between individual nanoparticles when they are assembled into aerogels. Following the calcination of the aerogels at 500 degrees C, redispersion of the nanoparticles into stable colloidal solutions with various solvents can be achieved. Although a slight degree of sintering is inevitable, the size of the resulting aggregates in solution is still remarkably small with values below 30 nm.

Automated summary

High-temperature treatment, specifically through postsynthesis calcination, is crucial for maximizing the potential of functional nanomaterials. However, this step often hinders the preparation of colloidal solutions due to agglomeration. In this study, researchers successfully obtained stable colloidal solutions of calcined n-conductive antimony doped tin oxide (ATO) and titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles without using sacrificial materials. This was achieved by reducing the contact between nanoparticles through aerogel assembly. The resulting aggregates in solution, although slightly sintered, were remarkably small, with sizes below 30 nm.