PREPARATION AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF ANTIMONY-DOPED TIN OXIDE NANOPARTICLES BY TWO VARIOUS MODIFIED COPRECIPITATION METHODS.

This paper describes the synthesis and electrical properties of antimony-doped tin oxide nanoparticles by precipitate-modified coprecipitation and solution-modified coprecipitation starting from different amounts of nitric acid and ethanol as modified additives. The aim of this study was to decrease the electrical resistivity of antimony-doped tin oxide nanoparticles and determine the relationship between the crystalline size and electrical properties. Results indicated that all samples revealed the existence of tetragonal antimony-substituted SnO₂ crystals. Antimony-doped tin oxide nanoparticles were 4.6–5.8 nm in diameter depending on both the amounts of nitric acid and ethanol as well as coprecipitation methods. The electrical resistivity changed dramatically from 0.86 Ω ⋅ cm to 0.31 Ω ⋅ cm depending on the amounts of nitric acid and ethanol as well as coprecipitation methods. Interestingly, the smaller the ratio between the crystal size calculated according to (110) plane and the crystal size calculated according to (101) plane was, the smaller the electrical resistivity of antimony-doped tin oxide nanoparticles was achieved as a function of the amounts of nitric acid and ethanol as well as coprecipitation methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]