The physical and chemical properties of materials at the nanoscale are of immense interest and have been gaining increasing importance in various technological applications. This paper examines the influence of the microwave-assisted hydrothermal method in the production of SnO2nanoparticles for use as catalyst. High-temperature heat treatments led to the formation of material with catalytic properties. The resulting powder was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy to determine its morphology, which confirmed the formation of SnO2. The powder was also tested to check its performance in the catalytic conversion of vegetable oil into biodiesel, which resulted in yield of 90%.
hydrothermal microwave synthesis; catalytic conversion; SnO2
