Crystalline antimony-doped tin oxide (ATO) nanoparticles were successfully synthesized by combustion method for the first time. The starting materials were tin nitrate, citrate antimony, nitric acid and citric acid. The nanoparticles were characterized by means of XRD, BET and TEM. In all cases, the peak positions agree well with the reflections of bulk cassiterite SnO2 and no other phase are detected, indicating that all antimony ions come into the crystal lattice of bulk SnO2 to substitute for tin ions. BET specific surface areas of the particles are in the range of 13 to 55 m2·g-1. The nanoparticles are monodispersed when the fuel to oxidizer is 0.60. The combustion method does not need a washing process that is necessary in synthesizing of nanoparticles by wet chemical methods, therefore the qualities of the ATO particles are greatly improved.
