Structural, optical and magnetic properties of SnO2 nanoparticles synthesized via surfactant-free hydrothermal process

Abstract Tin oxide (SnO2) nanoparticles are synthesized at different molar concentrations by employing a surfactant-free hydrothermal process. The structural properties of the samples investigated using XRD analysis indicated that the synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles have pure crystalline phase with tetragonal crystal structure of P42/mnm space group. The surface morphology analyzed using SEM micrographs showed that the nanoparticles get agglomerated without any specific structure. Optical characterization using UV–visible and PL spectroscopic techniques indicated that the synthesized SnO2 nanoparticles have absorption in the ultraviolet region and emission in the visible region due to defect states. A weak room-temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) exhibited by the nanoparticles has been observed from the analysis of magnetic parameters.