LAUSR

The present study reports Sn4+ doping induced novel morphological evolution in zinc titanate heteronanostructures synthesized using Sn4+ substituted Zn–Ti glycolates as precursors. First, Sn4+ substituted Zn–Ti glycolates with a wide range of tin concentrations (5%, 10%, 20% and 50%) were synthesized by an ethylene glycol mediated route. The precursors were calcined at 500 °C and 700 °C to obtain the Sn4+ doped zinc titanates. Powder X-ray diffraction studies demonstrate the formation of Sn4+ substituted Zn–Ti glycolates in the precursors. Zn2TiO4 is formed upon calcination of pure Zn–Ti glycolate. Sn4+ doped ZnTiO3 is produced after the calcination of Zn–Ti glycolates prepared using lower tin concentrations (e.g. 5% and 10%) and a mixture of SnO2 and Sn4+ doped ZnTiO3 is formed after the calcination of Zn–Ti glycolates prepared using higher tin concentrations (e.g. 20% and 50%). The morphology of pure Zn–Ti glycolate is spherical which changes to rod-like morphology upon incorporation of Sn4+ (5% to 20%). The width of the rod-like particles increases upon increasing the concentration of Sn4+ further and hexagonal prism-like particles are obtained in the case of the Zn–Ti glycolate prepared using 50% of Sn4+. The morphology of zinc titanates is retained as that of the corresponding Zn–Ti glycolates after calcination at 500 °C and 700 °C. The band gap of the tin doped zinc titanates can be tuned from 3.2 to 3.7 eV by varying the dopant concentration and calcination temperature.