Nucleation and growth of SnO2 nanowires

Semiconducting oxides in nanowire-shape have stimulated a great interest for applications in optics and sensor fields. Recently, it has been reported that tin oxide (SnO2) nanowires can be grown by vapor transport techniques through a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism. In this work, we present the results of a study on the mechanism involved in the crystallization process of SnO2 nanowires, pointing out that the presence of a liquid phase is necessary to grow these nanocrystals in the 800-1000 1C temperature range. Characterization of the obtained samples has been performed by XRD, TEM and SEM analysis.