The reliable synthesis of well-defined nanoscaled metal oxide materials by controlling defects and morphology of the particles, as well as providing a high dispersion of the doping elements in the matrix without other impurities, is one of the primary aims in materials chemistry. To overcome problems of traditional preparation methods (flame pyrolysis or gas phase oxidation of elemental zinc) Mathias Driess and co-workers employed new organometallic single-source precursors to synthesize more conveniently ternary Zn/Sn/O systems with different tin concentrations. The latter systems show remarkable enhancing electrical and optical properties of ZnO as transparent conducting oxide for various optoelectronic and photocatalytic applications.

This study presents new stannyl-substituted (RZn)₄(OR´)₄ heterocubanes (R = Et, Me, tBu and R` = SnPh₃, SnMe₃) with different organic groups at the metal atoms and their ‘multi-talented’ use as precursors for Sn-doped ZnO. The thermal degradation of the precursors with relatively small organic groups at the Sn atom increase volatility of the stannyl groups and allow the controlled formation of Sn-doped ZnO materials without additives.

Thin transparent conductive oxide films of such materials could be prepared which revealed great homogeneity, amorphous structure and high transparency, superior for field-effect transistor applications.

• Facile Low-Temperature Approach to Tin-Containing ZnO Nanocrystals with Tunable Tin Concentrations Using Heterobimetallic Sn/Zn Single-Source Precursors,
  Marianna Tsaroucha, Yilmaz Aksu, Jan Dirk Epping, Matthias Driess,
  ChemPlusChem 2013.
  DOI: 10.1002/cplu.201200259