Development of nano indium tin oxide (ITO) grains by alkaline hydrolysis of In(III) and Sn(IV) salts

Indium tin oxide (ITO) nano powders of different compositions (In: Sn = 90: 10, 70: 30 and 50: 50) were prepared by heat treatment (300-450°C) of mixed hydroxides of In(III) and Sn(IV). The hydroxides were obtained by the reaction of aq. NH3 with mixed aq. solutions of In(NO3)3 and SnCl4. FTIR and TG/DTA studies revealed that powders existed as In(OH)3H2O—SnO3H2H2O in the solid state and then they transformed to In2O3—SnO2 via some metastable intermediates after 300°C. Cubic phase of In2O3 was identified by XRD for the oxides up to 30% of Sn. Particle size measurements of the solid dispersed in acetone and SEM study for microstructure showed that the oxides were in the nano range (55-75 nm) whereas the size range determined from Debye-Scherrer equation were 11–24 nm.