SnO mesocrystals: additive-free synthesis, oxidation, and top-down fabrication of quantum dots

SnO mesocrystals were prepared via a hydrothermal method without any additives and were further oxidized to SnO2 mesocrystals. SnO and SnO2 quantum dots were successfully fabricated from these mesocrystals by an ultrasonic-assisted process. Sensors based on these quantum dots exhibited high selectivity in the detection of NO and NO2.