SnO₂ Nanostructure with Well-Engineered Crystal Facets by Zn Doping for Chemical Sensing Applications

Abstract

Crystal facet engineering has attracted considerable interests in the surface gas–solid chemical reaction such as the application in gas sensing due to the unique properties derived by different atom arrangements, bond energies, and charge densities. Herein, various hierarchical SnO2 nanostructures with different exposed facets including (110) facets exposed irregular decahedrons and (101) facets exposed nanorods and nanocones were successfully synthesized by different Zn doping via a hydrothermal process. We found that the difference in the exposed facets was induced by low Zn-doping energy of (101) facets compared with that of the (110) facets. Experimental and density functional theory calculation results confirmed that the Zn doping in the (101) surface of SnO2 nanostructure could facilitate the generation of ionosorbed oxygen species and optimize the electronic structure. When applied to detecting triethylamine (TEA), the SnO2 nanostructure with exposed well-engineered (101) facets exhibited an excellent sensitivity toward TEA with the detection limit of 50 ppb at low working temperature (70 °C). This work not only posed a new pathway to enhance facet-related properties of metal oxides semiconductors but also developed the various applications in detecting and catalyzing harmful gases in the environment.

Self-Doping Based Facet Junctions and Oxygen Vacancies in Ferroelectric Bi3TixNb2–xO9 Nanosheets for Boosting Photocatalytic Degradation and Antibacterial Activity

“…The most common methodologies employed in crystalline facet regulation are pH adjustment of liquid reaction medium, 15 surfactant agent addition, 21 and doping with heteroatoms. 22 In addition, the underlying mechanisms of facet junctions impacting the carrier dynamics at the atomic level still need to be investigated. Therefore, exploring new semiconductor systems of facet junctions, developing novel strategy to manipulate exposed facets, and uncovering the beneath mechanisms are quite necessary and important.…”

“…This may be related to the unclear crystal facet growth mechanism and finite facet control strategy. The most common methodologies employed in crystalline facet regulation are pH adjustment of liquid reaction medium, surfactant agent addition, and doping with heteroatoms . In addition, the underlying mechanisms of facet junctions impacting the carrier dynamics at the atomic level still need to be investigated.…”

Tin dioxide-based nanomaterials as anodes for lithium-ion batteries

“…281,283 Apart from doped-graphene, atom-doped SnO 2 , such as uorine-doped tin oxide 138 and antimony-doped tin oxide 122 can also be used with pristine graphene as an anode material. [284][285][286][287] For example, Xu et al has successfully fabricated composites of uorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) and rGO from a colloidal solution containing FTO nanocrystals and rGO by a hydrothermal treatment; the FTO nanocrystals were tightly embedded in the RGO nanosheets. As an anode material, the FTO/RGO composite showed high structural stability during the lithiation and delithiation processes.…”

Crystal facet effect of tin dioxide nanocrystals on photocatalytic degradation and photo-assisted gas sensing properties

“…36 In conclusion, it is urgent to study the crystal facet dependent effect and related mechanism of SnO 2 in the photocatalytic degradation of actual water pollutants. Different from the field of photocatalysis, the crystal facet dependent effect of SnO 2 has attracted much attention in the field of gas sensing towards the detection of various gases, including acetylene, 37 triethylamine, 38 SO 2 , 39 NO 2 , 40 and ethanol. 41 However, no research has been done on the ammonia gas sensing performance and mechanism of SnO 2 with specific crystal facets.…”