Controlled synthesis and enhanced catalytic and gas-sensing properties of tin dioxide nanoparticles with exposed high-energy facets

摘要

A morphology evolution of SnO _2 nanoparticles from low-energy facets (i.e., {101} and {110}) to high-energy facets (i.e., {111}) was achieved in a basic environment. In the proposed synthetic method, octahedral SnO _2 nanoparticles enclosed by high-energy {111} facets were successfully synthesized for the first time, and tetramethylammonium hydroxide was found to be crucial for the control of exposed facets. Furthermore, our experiments demonstrated that the SnO _2 nanoparticles with exposed high-energy facets, such as {221} or {111}, exhibited enhanced catalytic activity for the oxidation of CO and enhanced gas-sensing properties due to their high chemical activity, which results from unsaturated coordination of surface atoms, superior to that of low-energy facets. These results effectively demonstrate the significance of research into improving the physical and chemical properties of materials by tailoring exposed facets of nanomaterials.