Observation of Single Tin Dioxide Nanoribbons by Confocal Raman Microspectroscopy

Confocal Raman microspectroscopy combined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to characterize morphologies, chemical structures, and optical properties of single tin dioxide nanoribbons under ambient conditions. Raman images, depth profiles, and spectra of the ribbons were analyzed to provide new insights into the structure−property relationship. The Raman images constructed from the normal Raman bands and an additional group of energy bands with very high intensities between 1000 and 1800 cm-1 clearly discriminated the nanoribbons from the luminescent nanostructures grown on ribbon surfaces. The strong luminescent nanostructures have a stoichiometry of SnOx (1 < x < 2), as assessed by energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy and Raman peaks between 100 and 300 cm-1. The emission can be attributed to the defect state resonant and exciton−phonon coupling luminescence.