Microstructural study of SnO2-based nanoparticles by X-ray diffractometry

Two tin dioxide samples undergone to different thermal treatments have been studied by X-ray diffraction profile analysis, using the modified Williamson-Hall and Warren-Averbach methods. Assuming <10-1>{101} slip system and screw dislocations, the area and volume-weighted average particle sizes have been evaluated for both samples. The assumed log-normal particle size distribution has been calculated from these values. This distribution is in good agreement with the derived from SEM micrographs for the sample with lower particle size. Values of the dislocation densities were estimated around 1014 m−2 for the sample with lower grain size and around 1012 m−2 for the sample with greater grain size. The difference in the results for the analyzed samples could be explained from the difference between the treatments after synthesis.