Hollow SnO(2) spheres with smooth surface have been fabricated by a low temperature template-free solution phase route via self-assembly of small nanocrystalline particles. These hollow spheres have a very thin shell thickness of about 10 nm and are built from SnO(2) nanocrystals of an average size of 5.3 nm. The evacuation behavior of inside-out Ostwald ripening can be used to explain the formation of hollow spheres according to results of time-dependent reactions. The cathodoluminescence spectrum indicates a blue shift of the band gap emission peak of SnO(2), originating from quantum confinement effect due to the nanoscale size of SnO(2) particles. The as-prepared SnO(2) hollow spheres were also found to exhibit excellent performance in wastewater treatment.

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SnO(2) nanotubes have been prepared via a facile hydrothermal method at low temperatures using polycarbonate (PC) membrane as a hard template. The walls of as-prepared SnO(2) nanotubes are composed of fine nanocrysalline particles and the size of SnO(2) nanocrystals could be modified by changing reaction temperature. Formation mechanism of SnO(2) nanotubes is also discussed according to the experimental results. Cathodoluminescence properties of the SnO(2) product indicated that the band gap of the nanostructures increase from 3.75 eV with a particle size 5.6 nm to 3.99 eV with a particle size 3.3 nm. The as-prepared SnO(2) nanotubes were found to show enhanced gas-sensing activity and may be used as a candidate for the fabrication of gas sensors.

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Hydrogels composed of etherificated sodium alginate (ESA), sodium acrylic acid (NaAA), and poly (vinyl alcohol) (PVA) were synthesized by aqueous solution polymerization. The effects of reaction variables such as terminal pH, ions, and ionic strength on hydrogel swelling ratio (SR) were determined and compared. SR was influenced strongly by pH and ionic strength. SR increased with increasing pH but tended to decrease with PVA content. At a given ionic strength, SR of ESA/ NaAA/PVA hydrogel was dependent on the valence of anion; SR was higher in multivalent anion salt solution than in monovalent anion salt solution, i.e., SR K2SO4 > SR KCl and SR Na2SO4 > SR NaCl . The swelling kinetic of the hydrogels showed Fickian kinetic diffusion in acidic media and non-Fickian behavior in alkaline media.