Tin dioxide nanoclusters are very effective as catalysts for various reactions including CO2 conversion and Friedel-Crafts acylation for pharmaceuticals. The nanoarchitectonics of SnO2 could be controlled by different synthetic strategies. In the current article, we have presented synthesis of SnO2 nanoclusters and their applications in catalysis. We have also reviewed computational studies on SnO2 nanoclusters for using them in nanoarchitectonics and catalytic conversion of CO2 to useful chemicals. Optimized structures of various cluster sizes are presented. The present and future perspectives of SnO2 catalysts in biomass conversions are also given

Tin dioxide (SnO 2 ) nanoparticles (NPs) are synthesised via a direct (one-step) solvothermal route in the presence of ethanol as a solvent. The as-synthesised SnO 2 is well characterised by various analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and BET surface area analyses. The powder X-ray diffraction study reveals that the synthesised oxide adopts orthorhombic SnO 2 crystal structure. The transmission electron microscopic investigation shows the formation of nanoparticles with an average size of 6.44 nm. Moreover, the influence of the solvent on morphological and textural properties of as-synthesised SnO 2 is also explained. Further, the as-synthesised SnO 2 nanoparticles are employed for Friedel-Crafts benzoylation of anisole to produce 4-methoxybenzophenone. Various reaction parameters viz. effect of reaction temperature, effect of catalyst dosage, effect of solvation, and substrate ratio are also addressed for the acylation reaction. The SnO 2 NPs exhibit high catalytic activity for the acylation reaction of anisole. They also show high stability for the benzoylation with good recyclability up to five consecutive cycles.

No abstract

No abstract

Peculiar physicochemical properties of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials have attracted research interest in developing new synthetic technology and exploring their potential applications in the field of catalysis. Moreover, ultrathin metal oxide nanosheets with atomic thickness exhibit abnormal surficial properties because of the unique 2D confinement effect. In this work, we present a facile and general approach for the synthesis of single crystalline and ultrathin 2D nanosheets assembly of scrutinyite-SnO 2 through a simple solvothermal method. The structural and compositional characterization using X-ray diffraction (Rietveld refinement analysis), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and so on reveal that the as-synthesized 2D nanosheets are ultrathin and single crystallized in the scrutinyite-SnO 2 phase with high purity. The ultrathin SnO 2 nanosheets show predominant growth in the [011] direction on the main surface having a thickness of ca. 1.3 nm. The SnO 2 nanosheets are further employed for the regioselective Friedel–Crafts acylation to synthesize aromatic ketones that have potential significance in chemical industry as synthetic intermediates of pharmaceuticals and fine chemicals. A series of aromatic substrates acylated over the SnO 2 nanosheets have afforded the corresponding aromatic ketones with up to 92% yield under solvent-free conditions. Comprehensive catalytic investigations display the SnO 2 nanosheet assembly as a better catalytic material compared to the heterogeneous metal oxide catalysts used so far in the view of its activity and reusability in solvent-free reaction conditions.