Reactive and Organosoluble SnO 2 Nanoparticles by a Surfactant‐Free Non‐Hydrolytic Sol–Gel Route

Reactive SnO 2 nanoparticles have been successfully prepared by a simple non‐hydrolytic sol–gel synthesis in CH 2 Cl 2 at 110 °C by using SnCl 4 as a precursor and diisopropyl ether ( i Pr 2 O) as an oxygen donor. The SnO 2 nanocrystals, with a diameter of about 4 nm, formed stable sols in organic aprotic solvents in the absence of any surfactant or coordinating agent. The lack of aggregation has been attributed to the presence of Cl and O i Pr surface groups instead of OH groups. These surface groups render the nanoparticles reactive towards hydroxylated surfaces, as shown by their reaction with an oxidized silicon wafer; the nanoparticles bind uniformly across the wafer to form a monolayer.