Enhanced catalytic activity and near room temperature gas sensing properties of SnO nanoclusters@mesoporous Sn(iv) organophosphonate composite.

A simple, facile and one-pot route for preparing SnO nanoclusters embedded on a mesoporous Sn(iv) organophosphonate (MSnP) framework is described. Reaction of SnCl·5HO with a flexible tris-phosphonic acid, mesityl-1,3,5-tris(methylenephosphonic acid), in the presence of a surfactant under hydrothermal conditions produced the desired nanocomposite, SnO@MSnP. Analytical, spectroscopic and microscopic studies establish that SnO@MSnP composite is comprised of SnO nanoparticles of an average size of 5 nm evenly and abundantly dispersed over the MSnP framework.