Formation mechanism of porous hollow SnO2 nanofibers prepared by one-step electrospinning

Tin oxide based nanostructured materials: synthesis and potential applications

In view of their inimitable characteristics and properties, SnO₂ nanomaterials and nanocomposites have been used not only in the field of diverse advanced catalytic technologies and sensors but also in the field of energy storage such as lithium-ion batteries and supercapacitors, and in the field of energy production such as solar cells and water splitting. This review discusses the various synthesis techniques such as traditional methods, including processes like thermal decomposition, chemical vapor deposition, electrospinning, sol-gel, hydrothermal, solvothermal, and template-mediated methods and green methods, which include synthesis through plant-mediated, microbe-mediated, and biomolecule-mediated processes. Moreover, the advantages and limitations of these synthesis procedures and how to overcome them that would lead to future research are also discussed. This literature also focuses on various applications such as environmental remediation, energy production, energy storage, and removal of biological contaminants. Therefore, the rise and journey of SnO₂-based nanocomposites will motivate the modern generation of chemists to modify and design robust nanoparticles and nanocomposites that can effectively tackle significant environmental challenges. This overview concludes by providing future perspectives on research into tin oxide in synthesis and its various applications.

Electrospun Metal Oxide Nanofibers and Their Conductometric Gas Sensor Application. Part 1: Nanofibers and Features of Their Forming

Electrospun metal oxide nanofibers, due to their unique structural and electrical properties, are now being considered as materials with great potential for gas sensor applications. This critical review attempts to assess the feasibility of these perspectives. The article in Part 1 discusses the basic principles of electrospinning and the features of the formation of metal oxide nanofibers using this method. Approaches to optimization of nanofibers’ parameters important for gas sensor application are also considered.

Template-Free Construction of Tin Oxide Porous Hollow Microspheres for Room-Temperature Gas Sensors

Porous hollow microsphere (PHM) materials represent ideal building blocks for realizing diverse functional applications such as catalysis, energy storage, drug delivery, and chemical sensing. This has stimulated intense efforts to construct metal oxide PHMs for achieving highly sensitive and low-power-consumption semiconductor gas sensors. Conventional methods for constructing PHMs rely on delicate reprogramming of templates and may suffer from the structural collapse issue during the removal of templates. Here, we propose a template-free method for the construction of tin oxide (SnO₂) PHMs via the competition between the solvent evaporation rate and the phase separation dynamics of colloidal SnO₂ quantum wires. The SnO₂ PHMs (typically 3 ± 0.5 μm diameter and approximately 200 nm shell thickness) exhibit desirable structural stability with desirable processing compatibility with various substrates. This enables the realization of NO₂ gas sensors having a superior response and recovery process at room temperature. The superior NO₂-sensing characteristic is attributed to the effective gas adsorption competition on solid surfaces benefiting from efficient diffusion channels, enhancing the interaction of metal oxide solids with gas molecules in terms of the receptor function, transducer function, and utility factor. In addition, the one-step deposition of SnO₂ PHMs directly onto device substrates simplifies the fabrication conditions for semiconductor gas sensors. The desirable structural stability of PHMs combined with the functional diversity of metal oxides may open new opportunities for the design of functional materials and devices.

Novel electroblowing synthesis of tin dioxide and composite tin dioxide/silicon dioxide submicron fibers for cobalt(ii) uptake

Nanoscale SnO2 has many important properties ranging from sorption of metal ions to gas sensing. Using a novel electroblowing method followed by calcination, we synthesized SnO2 and composite SnO2/SiO2 submicron fibers with a Sn : Si molar ratio of 3 : 1. Different calcination temperatures and heating rates produced fibers with varying structures and morphologies. In all the fibers SnO2 was detected by XRD indicating the SnO2/SiO2 fibers to be composite instead of complete mixtures. We studied the Co2+ separation ability of the fibers, since 60Co is a problematic contaminant in nuclear power plant wastewaters. Both SnO2 and SnO2/SiO2 fibers had an excellent Co2+ uptake with their highest uptake/K d values being 99.82%/281 000 mL g-1 and 99.79%/234 000 mL g-1, respectively. Compared to the bare SnO2 fibers, the SiO2 component improved the elasticity and mechanical strength of the composite fibers which is advantageous in dynamic column operation.

Preparation of SnO2 nanotubes via a template-free electrospinning process

A facile and environmentally friendly template-free method is developed for the fabrication of SnO2 nanotubes via electrospinning and precisely controlled heat treatment method. It is revealed that the as-spun solid SnO2 precursor fibers gradually transformed into hollow-structured nanotubes when the temperature was controlled precisely from 200 °C to 600 °C. It was confirmed, that this remarkable structural evolution corporate the respective thermal decomposition of polyvinyl butyral (PVB) at the surface and inside of the fibers. The formation mechanism of the nanotubes has been clarified by systematically investigating the morphology, phase structure, chemical state, and decomposition of the organic compounds during the heat treatment. The as-prepared SnO2 nanotubes exhibit a high specific surface area of 32.91 m2 g-1 and a porous structure with pore sizes of 2 nm and 10-25 nm. The SnO2 nanotubes were assembled as a photosensor, which demonstrates a fast response upon UV light illumination at 254 nm. From this discovery, it is expected that a new method for fabricating nanotubes will be established and the development of materials with a higher functionality will be promoted.

Recent progress in the design and synthesis of nanofibers with diverse synthetic methodologies: characterization and potential applications

The advancements of nanotechnology, particularly nanomaterials science, have produced a broad range of nanomaterials including nanofibers, nanorods, nanowires and etc., which have been technically and practically examined over various applications.

Ultrafast Detection of Low Acetone Concentration Displayed by Au-Loaded LaFeO3 Nanobelts owing to Synergetic Effects of Porous 1D Morphology and Catalytic Activity of Au Nanoparticles

Herein, we report on one-dimensional porous Au-modified LaFeO₃ nanobelts (NBs) with high surface area, which were synthesized through the electrospinning method. The incorporation and coverage of Au nanoparticles (NPs) on the surface of the LaFeO₃ NBs was achieved by adjusting the HAuCl amount in the precursor solution. Successful incorporation of Au NPs was examined by X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The gas-sensing performance of both the pure and Au/LaFeO₃ NB-based sensors was tested toward 2.5-40 ppm of acetone at working temperatures in the range from room temperature to 180 °C. The gas-sensing findings revealed that Au/LaFeO₃ NB-based sensor with the Au concentration of 0.3 wt % displayed improved response of 125-40 ppm of acetone and rapid response and recovery times of 26 and 20 s, respectively, at an optimal working temperature of 100 °C. Furthermore, all sensors demonstrated an excellent response toward acetone and remarkable selectivity against NO₂, NH₃, CH₄, and CO. Hence, the Au/LaFeO₃-NB-based sensor is a promising candidate for sensitive, ultrafast, and selective acetone detections at low concentrations. The gas-sensing mechanism of the Au/LaFeO₃ sensors is explained in consideration of the catalytic activity of the Au NPs, which served as direct adsorption sites for oxygen and acetone.

Construction of a hollow structure in La0.9K0.1CoO3−δ nanofibers via grain size control by Sr substitution with an enhanced catalytic performance for soot removal

The hollow structure is formed by Sr²⁺ doping in La_0.9K_0.1CoO_3−δ nanofibers for decreasing the grain size, which can improve the contact efficiency of soot–catalyst–gas as well as the intrinsic activity, responsible for the enhancement in activity.

The Electrospun Ceramic Hollow Nanofibers

Hollow nanofibers are largely gaining interest from the scientific community for diverse applications in the fields of sensing, energy, health, and environment. The main reasons are: their extensive surface area that increases the possibilities of engineering, their larger accessible active area, their porosity, and their sensitivity. In particular, semiconductor ceramic hollow nanofibers show greater space charge modulation depth, higher electronic transport properties, and shorter ion or electron diffusion length (e.g., for an enhanced charging-discharging rate). In this review, we discuss and introduce the latest developments of ceramic hollow nanofiber materials in terms of synthesis approaches. Particularly, electrospinning derivatives will be highlighted. The electrospun ceramic hollow nanofibers will be reviewed with respect to their most widely studied components, i.e., metal oxides. These nanostructures have been mainly suggested for energy and environmental remediation. Despite the various advantages of such one dimensional (1D) nanostructures, their fabrication strategies need to be improved to increase their practical use. The domain of nanofabrication is still advancing, and its predictable shortcomings and bottlenecks must be identified and addressed. Inconsistency of the hollow nanostructure with regard to their composition and dimensions could be one of such challenges. Moreover, their poor scalability hinders their wide applicability for commercialization and industrial use.

Mesoporous SnO2 Nanotubes via Electrospinning-Etching Route: Highly Sensitive and Selective Detection of H2S Molecule

We report the facile synthesis of thin-walled SnO₂ nanotubes (NTs) with numerous clustered pores (pore radius 6.56 nm) and high surface area (125.63 m²/g) via selective etching of core (SiO₂) region in SiO₂-SnO₂ composite nanofibers (NFs), in which SnO₂ phase preferentially occupies the shell while SiO₂ is concentrated in the center of the composite NFs. The SiO₂-etched SnO₂ NTs are composed of ultrasmall crystallites (∼6 nm in size) originating from crystal growth inhibition by small SiO₂ domains, which are partially segregated in the polycrystalline SnO₂ shell during calcination. These features account for efficacious diffusion and innumerable active sites, which maximize interaction between background gas (air) and analyte gas (H₂S). Evaluation of gas-sensing performance of the porous SnO₂ NTs before and after decorating the exterior and interior walls with Pt nanoparticles (NPs) reveals exceptional selectivity and superior response (R_a/R_g) of 154.8 and 89.3 to 5 and 1 ppm of H₂S, respectively. Excellent gas-sensing characteristics are attributed to the porous topography, nanosized crystallites, high surface area, and the catalytic activity of Pt/PtO_x NPs.

Porous One-Dimensional Nanomaterials: Design, Fabrication and Applications in Electrochemical Energy Storage

Electrochemical energy storage technology is of critical importance for portable electronics, transportation and large-scale energy storage systems. There is a growing demand for energy storage devices with high energy and high power densities, long-term stability, safety and low cost. To achieve these requirements, novel design structures and high performance electrode materials are needed. Porous 1D nanomaterials which combine the advantages of 1D nanoarchitectures and porous structures have had a significant impact in the field of electrochemical energy storage. This review presents an overview of porous 1D nanostructure research, from the synthesis by bottom-up and top-down approaches with rational and controllable structures, to several important electrochemical energy storage applications including lithium-ion batteries, sodium-ion batteries, lithium-sulfur batteries, lithium-oxygen batteries and supercapacitors. Highlights of porous 1D nanostructures are described throughout the review and directions for future research in the field are discussed at the end.

Rational design of Sn-based multicomponent anodes for high performance lithium-ion batteries: SnO2@TiO2@reduced graphene oxide nanotubes

Reduced graphene oxide (rGO)-wrapped SnO₂@TiO₂ nanotubes (NTs) anodes exhibit superior rate capability and cycle retention due to stable solid electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer and enhanced electrical conductivity through TiO₂ and rGO-coated layer.

Mechanistic insights into formation of SnO₂ nanotubes: asynchronous decomposition of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) in electrospun fibers during calcining process

The formation mechanism of SnO2 nanotubes (NTs) fabricated by generic electrospinning and calcining was revealed by systematically investigating the structural evolution of calcined fibers, product composition, and released volatile byproducts. The structural evolution of the fibers proceeded sequentially from dense fiber to wire-in-tube to nanotube. This remarkable structural evolution indicated a disparate thermal decomposition of poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) in the interior and the surface of the fibers. PVP on the surface of the outer fibers decomposed completely at a lower temperature (<340 °C), due to exposure to oxygen, and SnO2 crystallized and formed a shell on the fiber. Interior PVP of the fiber was prone to loss of side substituents due to the oxygen-deficient decomposition, leaving only the carbon main chain. The rest of the Sn crystallized when the pores formed resulting from the aggregation of SnO2 nanocrystals in the shell. The residual carbon chain did not decompose completely at temperatures less than 550 °C. We proposed a PVP-assisted Ostwald ripening mechanism for the formation of SnO2 NTs. This work directs the fabrication of diverse nanostructure metal oxide by generic electrospinning method.

Electrospun membranes: control of the structure and structure related applications in tissue regeneration and drug delivery

Multilevel structures of electrospun membranes can be controlled and the designed structures can strongly affect cell behavior and drug delivery.