Hydrothermal synthesis and gas-sensing properties of flower-like Sn3O4

Hierarchical Sn3O4 nanoflowers, assembled from single-crystalline Sn3O4 nanosheets, were synthesized by a facile one-step hydrothermal route without any template. The crystal structure and phase purity of the Sn3O4 were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Morphologies and structures were analyzed by field-emission electron scanning microscopy (FESEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM), which indicated that flower-like Sn3O4 had an average size of about 700 nm and the surface of two-dimensional was smooth. BET results revealed the high surface area of the products (34.5 m2/g). The gas-sensing properties of flower-like Sn3O4 toward ethanol were investigated. Significantly, the sensor exhibited low detection limit and good repeatability to ethanol at the optimal operating temperature of 225 °C.