Microwave-assisted chemical synthesis of Zn2SnO4 nanoparticles

In this study it is presented the synthesis of octahedron-like Zn2SnO4 (ZTO) nanoparticles by microwave-assisted chemical synthesis and their characterization. The effect of temperature, time of reaction and reactant concentration on structural, morphological and optical properties of the particles was studied. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and diffuse reflectance. The results showed that it is necessary to carry out the synthesis at 200 degrees C with times more than 50 min to obtain a single phase ZTO. The decrease in reactant concentration promotes the reduction of particle size (ranging from 80 to 120 nm) and increase in the band gap above 4.0 eV.