Synthesis of Semiconductor SnO 2 Hollow Nanosphere; Their Modified Electrode for Electrochemical Reduction and Determination of Hydrogen Peroxide, Ethanol and Oxidation of Bioactive Molecules

The pure semiconductor SnO 2 hollow nanosphere (HNS) was synthesized by a carbon sphere (CS) template-assisted in solution phase growth method using Tin (IV) chloride (SnCl 4 ). This HNS is fabricated or formed by aggregations among the adjacent SnO 2 nanoparticles at above 100 °C temperature. The difference between the valance and conduction bands gap is found to be 3.387 eV. The whole diameter of the SnO 2 HNS is ranged from 300–500 nm in size with the thickness of the wall 40–50 nm. The SnO 2 nanoparticle size ranges from 20 to 30 nm. The dimension of the HNS are controlled by adjusting the some parameters, such as the concentration of SnCl 4 , the aging time, temperature, and the size of carbon spheres. The whole HNS size and wall thickness are affected by the Sn 4+ , due to the electrostatic force between CS and metal ions. The fabricated semiconductor SnO 2 HNS was characterized by various analytical methods such as diffusion reflectance spectrum, Fourier transform infrared spectra, an X-ray diffraction pattern, Energy-dispersive X-ray pattern, Field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM), and High-resolution transmittance electron microscope. Then, this semiconductor SnO 2 hollow nanosphere-modified glassy carbon electrode exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) and ethanol with corresponding electro potential appeared at − 0.630 and − 0.624 V respectively. The oxidation of bioactive molecules such as Ascorbic acid, Dopamine, and Propyl gallate, with oxidation potential appeared at 0.634, 0.698, and 0.526 V respectively in low reduction potential.