Dispersion stability of tin(IV) oxide nanoparticles in polar solvents and water aided by ultrasonication

• Main Authors: Ong, Chinkhai, Lee, Wengnam, Lim, Linghong, Chong, WuYi, Chew, Jingwen, Hayashi, Yasuhiko, Nishikawa, Takeshi, Ohberg, Patrik, Ahmad, Harith, Yap, Yuenkiat
• Format: Article
• Published: IOP Publishing 2023
• Subjects: QC Physics
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/38537/
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

Dispersion stability of tin(IV) oxide nanoparticles dispersed in N-Methy-2-Pyrrolidone (NMP), dimethylformamide (DMF) and distilled water assisted by ultrasonication was investigated, aiming to identify a suitable liquid medium to effectively disperse tin(IV) oxide for many useful applications. The dispersions' stability was characterized using field emission scanning electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and Zeta potential. The results show that distilled water has the highest stability with optimum sonication of 1 h. NMP shows better stability and consistency than DMF at different sonication timings. Good agreement between ultraviolet-visible absorbance and Zeta potentials shows that both distilled water and NMP are good mediums to produce highly stable tin(V) oxide dispersion.