Fabrication and Characterisation of Tin Dioxide-Coated Gold Nanocomposites for Potential Use in Applications of Solar Steam Generation

In this study, we investigated the effects of coating gold (Au) nanostructures with metal oxide nanocrystalline solids and the impact this has on the properties of the Au-based nanofluids. We created nanofluids by combining ethylene glycol base fluid with tin dioxide-coated gold (Au@SnO2) nanocomposites. By encapsulating the Au nanostructures within SnO2 nanocrystals, we were able to improve their structural stability and optical properties; this was confirmed by TEM micrographs and UV-Vis spectra. In addition, we found that the thermal conductivities of the Au@SnO2-based nanofluids were 10% higher than their uncoated counterparts. This suggests that the Au-based nanofluids composed of Au@SnO2 nanocomposites have potential in thermal energy management and electronic cooling systems.