Thermal behavior of organotin(IV) triazolates: Molecular precursors for pure-phase, nanosized SnS/SnO2

The thermal behavior of organotin(IV) triazolates of general formula, RnSnLm (n = 3, m = 1; R = Me and Ph; n = 2, m = 2; R = Me and n-Bu; for HL = 4-amino-3-methyl-1,2,4-triazole-2-thiol (HL-1) and 4-amino-3-ethyl-1,2,4-triazole-2-thiol (HL-2); n = 2, m = 2, R = Ph for HL-1), has been investigated by thermogravimetry-differential thermal analysis-derivative thermogravimetric (TG-DTA-DTG) techniques. The thermal decomposition studies under air and nitrogen indicated different thermal behavior modes. This method provides a simple route to prepare nanosized (∼6 to 60 nm) semiconductors SnS and SnO2 in nitrogen and air atmosphere, respectively, at low temperature ∼550 to 700 °C. The X-ray diffraction studies of the residues along with SEM and TEM measurements show that Ph2Sn(L-1)2 is the best precursor for pure-phase nanoscale SnO2 and n-Bu2Sn(L-2)2 for SnS among the studied precursors, however, n-Bu2Sn(L-1)2 is a better precursor for the production of both nanoscale pure-phase SnO2 and SnS.