Tin Dioxide Nanowires: Evolution and Perspective of the Doped and Nondoped Systems

SnO2 semiconductor nanowire is an extremely important technological material for use in nanophotonic and nanoelectronic devices. These semiconductor nanowires of desirable property can be achieved through a bottom-up approach to the controlled synthesis in a pure or doped state. Each of the synthetic methods offers materials with broad range structural, morphological, optical, and electrical properties. Selective doping of the SnO2 nanowires by normal, transition or inner transition elements offer a broad variation in the optical and electrical properties and are open for further theoretical exploration of the properties as well as necessary changes possible for the improvement of the material properties. The properties of SnO2 nanowires can be tuned either in the pure state by structural modification or doping during nanowire growth or after growth to meet most of the requirements.