High Pressure effects on electrical resistivity and dielectric properties of nanocrystalline SnO2

Nanocrystalline tin oxide (SnO₂) was prepared by chemical precipitation method with different grain sizes. The X-ray diffraction studies showed the structural stability of nanocrystalline SnO₂ under high-pressure. Electrical and dielectric properties were studied on these samples using complex impedance spectroscopy under different hydrostatic pressures. Electrical resistivity and dielectric studies showed a transition in nanocrystalline SnO₂ when it was subjected to high-pressure. The transition pressures obtained from both the resistivity and dielectric measurements agree with each other. The transition pressures were found to increase considerably with the decrease in grain size. Dielectric constant was found to decrease with the reduction of grain size. In order to find whether the transition with pressure is structure- related or not, Raman spectroscopy was done at normal temperature and pressure (NTP) and as a function of pressure at room temperature. Raman modes at NTP showed lines which correspond to tetragonal rutile structure of SnO₂. In situ high-pressure Raman measurements were carried out up to 3.38 GPa. No structural change was found with pressure.