Preparation of tin oxide quantum dots

Quantum dots are interesting nanostructures with have novel physical and chemical characteristics. It is not an easy task to obtain quantum dots because materials tend to agglomerate. In this work, SnO2 quantum dots have been successfully synthesized via a simple and low cost method which is the sol-gel method. Thermal analysis of the precursors were carried out using a Simultaneous Thermogravimetric Analyzer (STA). The annealed samples were characterized using X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) for phase studies. Finally, the crystallite size and morphology of tin oxide quantum dots were determined using Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FESEM).