A sol-gel method to synthesize indium tin oxide nanoparticles

Transparent conductive indium tin oxide (ITO) nanoparticles were synthesized by a novel sal-gel method. Granulated indium and tin were dissolved in HNO(3) and partially complexed with citric acid. A sol-gel process was induced when tertiary butyl alcohol was added dropwise to the above solution. ITO nanoparticles with an average crystallite size of 18.5 nm and surface area of 32.6 m(2)/g were obtained after the gel was heat-treated at 700 degrees C. The ITO nanoparticles showed good sinterability, the starting sintering temperature decreased sharply to 900 degrees C, and the 1400 degrees C sintered pellet had a density of 98.1% of theoretical density (TD). (C) 2011 Chinese Society of Particuology and Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.