Synthesis and characterization of antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles by a new hydrothermal method

Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles have been synthesized by mild hydrothermal method free from the widely used metal chlorides. The obtained particles were characterized by means of XRD, BET, Hall effect measurements, XPS and TEM. X-ray diffraction shows that all Sb ions came into the SnO2 lattice to substitute Sn ions, though the hydrothermal temperature was as low as 120 °C. Increasing the heat treatment temperature accelerates the growth of the nanoparticles, changes the electrical conductivity, the distribution of the Sb ions and relative amount of the two oxidation states Sb5+and Sb3+. TEM shows the ATO nanoparticles were monodispersed in the range of 3–5 nm.