Preparation and microstructure characterization of a nano-sized Ti 4+ -doped AgSnO 2 electrical contact material

A Ti 4+ -doped nano-structured AgSnO 2 material was prepared using sol-gel method and characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The results show that Ti 4+ cations are successfully doped into the crystal lattice of SnO 2 , and thus significantly improve the electrical conductivity of the sample. Furthermore, the coating of Ag on Ti 4+ -doped SnO 2 nano-sized particles enhances the surface wettability and enables the resulting AgSnO 2 material to have better mechanical properties.