SnO₂ Nanowires from Growth Control to Functional Device Integration

This review examines the development of SnO₂ nanowires from synthesis and structural control to surface engineering, device integration, and manufacturing-related considerations. A total of 210 studies published between 2001 and 2026 were included. Vapor-based methods, particularly thermal evaporation, vapor–liquid–solid growth, and chemical vapor deposition, were the most frequently reported synthesis routes, while hydrothermal, template-assisted, physical vapor deposition, and atomic layer deposition approaches contributed to specific architectures and integration strategies. The literature shows a progressive shift from isolated nanowires toward networks, aligned arrays, branched structures, and core–shell heterostructures, accompanied by increasing use of catalytic decoration, doping, and defect engineering. Gas sensing was the dominant application, followed by photodetection and photonics, energy storage, biosensing, and photocatalytic systems. Across these applications, device performance was strongly influenced by nanowire dimensions, surface depletion, interwire junctions, heterointerfaces, and metal contacts. Stability was more frequently evaluated than reproducibility, and systematic comparison across independently fabricated devices or synthesis runs remained less common. Although large-scale and on-chip growth have been demonstrated, the transition to manufacturing still depends on controlling morphology, interfaces, process uniformity, device yield, and fabrication complexity. Overall, SnO₂ nanowire research has evolved from synthesis-centered studies toward increasingly integrated and application-oriented systems, with reproducibility and scalable fabrication remaining central challenges for broader technological implementation.