Optimization of tin dioxide nanosticks faceting for the improvement of palladium nanocluster epitaxy

Semispherical palladium nanoclusters have been epitaxed on {110} facets of tin dioxide nanosticks. The synthesis of tin dioxide nanoparticles has been optimized to obtain a crystallite shape with a maximum surface area lying on the rutile structure {110} planes, which are the most active for gas sensing. For this purpose, we describe a microwave method, which allowed us to obtain monocrystalline stick-like tin dioxide nanoparticles (so-called nanosticks) with rectangular prism shape. These nanosticks present long lateral {110} faces, squared cross-section 5-25 nm wide, and lengths of up to 0.5 mum. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.