Fabrication and Conductive Performance of Antimony-Doped Tin Oxide-Coated Halloysite Nanotubes

Antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) was deposited on the surface of halloysite nanotubes (HNTs) to obtain conductive composite ATO/HNTs by a hydrolysis precipitation process. Structure and morphology of the samples were systematically characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetry–differential scanning calorimetry (TG–DSC), transmission electron microscope (TEM), energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results indicated that ATO nanoparticles were successfully coated as thin layers on the surface of halloysite and the particle size was ∼7.4nm when calcined at 700°C. The ATO/HNTs composites were obtained with a resistivity of ∼430Ω⋅cm under the optimum experimental parameters. ATO layers were proved to attach to the halloysite surface via the Sn – O – Si or Sn – O – Al bonds. A corresponding coating mechanism was depicted.