Abstract
Measuring the size of the quantum dots (QDs) with accuracy is crucial considering its effect on the physical and chemical properties. Size determination of SnO2 QDs prepared by a soft chemical method using various techniques and their correlation is reported here. Direct method like high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and indirect method like X-ray diffraction and ultra violet–visible (UV–Vis) techniques used for size determination and then correlated. Effective crystallite size found from TEM morphological analysis is 2.4 ± 0.1 nm, which matches closely with the crystallite size of 2.3 ± 0.1 nm as calculated using Williamson–Hall plot. Particle size is also calculated from UV–Vis spectroscopy following quantum confinement effect in SnO2. The obtained slopes from the Tauc’s plot provide a distribution of particle sizes which matches well with the result from TEM analysis.
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Acknowledgments
We thank S. Amirthapandian of Metal Physics Division, Materials Science Group, IGCAR for HRTEM studies. We sincerely acknowledge the useful discussion and valuable suggestions provided by Dr. S.K. Dhara and Dr. A. K. Tyagi of Surface and Nanoscience Division, Materials Science Group, IGCAR. We are also thankful to Dr. C. S. Sundar of Materials Science Group, IGCAR for his support in doing this work.
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Bonu, V., Das, A. Size Distribution of SnO2 Quantum Dots Studied by UV–Visible, Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Diffraction. MAPAN 28, 259–262 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-013-0079-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12647-013-0079-4