Spectroscopic studies on the formation kinetics of SnO2 nanoparticles synthesized in a planetary ball mill

SnO2 nanoparticles with an average diameter of 9 nm were synthesized by the mechanochemical reaction between SnCl2 and Na2CO3 in a planetary ball mill. The pressure and the temperature were continuously monitored in the milling drum and the reaction products were characterized by TEM, SEM, FT-Raman, mid-IR and far-IR spectroscopy. The pressure in the drum was found to be a highly nonlinear function of the milling time. This finding could be adequately explained on the basis of the spectroscopic evidence collected. We suggest that the speed of the mechanochemical reaction is given by a fast-slow-fast(-slow) series which is caused by the variation of the wetness of the reaction mixture during milling. The measured pressure nonlinearity is thus a direct consequence of the kinetics of the mechanochemical reaction.