Sb–SnO2 nanoparticles onto kaolinite rods: assembling process and interfacial investigation

In this article, we reported the synthesis of novel Sb–SnO2/kaolinite (SK) nanocomposites by assembling antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles on the surface of kaolinite rods without addition of dispersant. The samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and N2 adsorption–desorption techniques. The crystal size and loading density of ATO nanoparticles onto kaolinite rods could be controlled through the synthetic conditions. The color and resistivity of the composites varied with the loading density of ATO nanoparticles. Investigations of the interfacial binding between ATO layer and rod surface indicated that surface characteristics could facilitate the deposition of various metal oxides nanoparticles. XPS analysis demonstrated that the entrance of Sb5+ into SnO2 crystallite led to the improvement of conductivity and the color change of the composites. The formation mechanism for SK composites was also discussed.