Synthesis and optical properties of SnO(2) nanorods.

Well-crystalline SnO(2) nanorods have been synthesized successfully via a lithium-assisted solution-phase method. The structural and optical properties of the SnO(2) nanorods were investigated using x-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and infrared, Raman and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The experimental results show that lithium addition plays a critical role in the formation of SnO(2) nanorods, and the correlation between the surface energy change and morphological evolution of this material is also discussed. This approach provides an economically viable route for large-scale synthesis of this nanostructured material.