Synthesis and gas sensitivities of SnO2 nanorods and hollow microspheres

SnO2 urchin-like structures composed of nanorods with diameters of 10–15 nm and lengths of 50–70 nm have been hydrothermally synthesized via a H2O2-assisted route without any surfactant, using SnCl2 as raw material. With the addition of methenamine (HMT), SnO2 hollow microspheres with diameters of 2–3 μm and shell thickness of 60–140 nm were also prepared. The as-obtained products were examined using diverse techniques including X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), high-resolution TEM and photoluminescence spectra. The gas sensitivity experiments have demonstrated that the as-synthesized SnO2 materials exhibit good sensitivity to alcohol vapors, which may offer potential applications in gas sensors.