H2O2 induced formation of graded composition sodium-doped tin dioxide and template-free synthesis of yolk-shell SnO2 particles and their sensing application.

Sodium peroxostannate nanoparticles with graded composition were produced from aqueous hydrogen peroxide-sodium hydroxostannate solution. The uniform particles were converted to composition graded sodium stannate by mild thermal treatment for peroxide decomposition and yielded yolk-shell tin dioxide particles by dilute acid treatment. The mechanism of formation of the graded sodium concentration is explained in view of the solubility of peroxostannate in H2O2-H2O solution and based on 119Sn NMR, XRD, dynamic light scattering (DLS) and electron microscopy studies. Initial studies illuminating sensitive hydrogen sensing by yolk-shell tin oxide particles are presented.