Tin (Sn)-doped beta phase gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) nanostructures at different Sn concentrations (0 to 7.3 at%) are synthesized using a facile hydrothermal method. The Sn-doped β-Ga2O3 nanostructures are characterized using scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and absorbance spectroscopy. In addition, their photocatalytic activity is evaluated by observing methylene blue degradation under ultraviolet light (254 nm) irradiation. The photocatalytic activity of the Sn-doped (0.7 at%) β-Ga2O3 nanostructures is significantly enhanced compared to that of intrinsic β-Ga2O3 nanostructures due to the elevated charge separation. Excessive Sn concentrations (exceeding 2.2 at%) above the solid solubility limit of the Sn in β-Ga2O3 nanostructures lead to SnO2 and SnO precipitation. The presence of SnO2 and SnO degrades the photocatalytic efficiency in the β-Ga2O3 nanostructures. The results suggest new opportunities for the synthesis of highly effective β-Ga2O3-based photocatalysts for applications in environmental remediation, disinfection, and selective organic transformations.
High-aspect ratio β-Ga2O3 nanorods consisting of prism-like crystals were formed using gallium oxyhydroxide and ammonia hydroxide via a hydrothermal synthesis followed by the subsequent calcination process. The formation of high-aspect ratio β-Ga2O3 nanorods was attributed to the oriented attachment mechanism that was present during the hydrothermal synthesis. A field-effect transistor was fabricated using the high-aspect ratio β-Ga2O3 nanorod, and it exhibited the typical charge transfer properties of an n-type semiconductor. This facile approach to forming high-aspect ratio nanorods without any surfactants or additives can broaden the science of β-Ga2O3 and expedite the integration of one-dimensional β-Ga2O3 into future electronics, sensors, and optoelectronics.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.