Characteristics of nano Ti-doped SnO2 powders prepared by sol–gel method

Ti4+-doped SnO2 nano-powders were prepared by the sol–gel process using tin tetrachloride and titanium tetrachloride as the starting materials. The crystallinity and purity of the powders were analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and the size and distribution of Ti4+-doped SnO2 grains were studied using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that Ti4+ has been successfully incorporated into the SnO2 crystal lattice and the electrical conductivity of the doped materials improves significantly.