Novel solid-state route to nanostructured tin, zinc and cerium oxides as potential materials for sensors

Solid-state sensor nanostructured materials (SnO₂, ZnO and CeO₂) have been prepared by pyrolysis of macromolecular complexes: PSP-co-4-PVP · (SnCl₂)_n, PSP-co-4-PVP · (ZnCl₂)_nand PSP-co-4-PVP · (Ce(NO₃)₃)_nin several molar ratios under air at 800 °C. The as-prepared nanostructured SnO2 exhibits morphologies and particle sizes which are dependent upon the molar ratio of the SnCl₂:PSP-co-4-PVP. When a larger weight fraction of the inorganic salt in the precursor mixture is used (1:10 > 1:5 > 1.1) larger crystalline crystals are found for each oxide. For ZnO and CeO₂agglomerates of morphologies from the respective hexagonal and cubic structures were observed with typical sizes of 30-50 nm in both cases for a precursor mixture ratio of 1:1.