Abstract
Nanocables have been formed with Sb-doped SnO 2 (SnO 2 : Sb) cores and SiO 2 shells. First, SnO 2 : Sb nanowires were synthesized by a vapour-liquid-solid process at 900 °C. Subsequently, thin SiO 2 shells were deposited onto the surfaces of these SnO 2 : Sb nanowires. Thin-film x-ray diffraction showed that all the as-synthesized core-shell nanocables had a single-phase SnO 2 rutile structure. Field emission scanning electron microscopy revealed that the nanocables had diameters of 80-140 nm and lengths of up to several hundred micrometres. As-synthesized SnO 2 : Sb-SiO 2 core-shell nanocables revealed an extremely low turn-on field, ∼0.35 V μm -1 , which was seven times lower than the ∼2.3 V μm -1 field of SnO 2 : Sb nanowires. © 2009 IOP Publishing Ltd.