Hydrolysis Studies on Bismuth Nitrate: Synthesis and Crystallization of Four Novel Polynuclear Basic Bismuth Nitrates

Anchoring Atomically Precise Chiral Bismuth Oxido Nanoclusters on Gold: The Role of Amino Acid Linkers

The adsorption of chiral molecules onto metallic surfaces triggers electron spin polarization at the interface, paving the way for applications in chiral opto-spintronics. However, the spin effects sensitively depend on the binding and ordering of the chiral species on surfaces. This study explores the adsorption of chiral thioether-functionalized atomically precise bismuth oxido nanoclusters (BiO-NCs) on gold (Au) surfaces, extending the conventional approach of using thiol-containing molecules and complexes to nanoclusters. Starting from the precursor [Bi38O45(NO3)20(dmso)28](NO3)4·4dmso (A), chiral BiO-NCs were synthesized by substituting the nitrates with N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-l-methionine (Boc-l-Met-O-) ligands to obtain [Bi38O45(Boc-l-Met-O)24] (2). The full exchange of nitrate by the Boc-l-methionine ligand was demonstrated by powder X-ray diffractograms, dynamic light scattering, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, nuclear magnetic resonance, infrared, circular dichroism, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Compared to previously reported [Bi38O45(Boc-l-Phe-O)24(dmso)9] (1), BiO-NC 2 shows differences in the growth mode on a Au surface as revealed by scanning electron microscopy, wherefore a stronger binding of BiO-NC 2 is assumed. Anchoring of BiO-NC 2 to the Au surface through thioether groups induced a discernible change in the optical response of the Au surface analyzed by spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE). From the numerical modeling of the SE parameters, a layer thickness of ∼2 nm, corresponding to a monolayer of BiO-NC 2, was estimated for the samples prepared by dip coating. Thus, strong adsorption of BiO-NC 2 to the Au surface is concluded, which is an essential prerequisite for chiral-induced interface spin polarization.

Synthesis and Characterization of Cerium-Oxo Clusters Capped by Acetylacetonate

Cerium-oxo clusters have applications in fields ranging from catalysis to electronics and also hold the potential to inform on aspects of actinide chemistry. Toward this end, a cerium-acetylacetonate (acac1-) monomeric molecule, Ce(acac)4 (Ce-1), and two acac1--decorated cerium-oxo clusters, [Ce10O8(acac)14(CH3O)6(CH3OH)2]·10.5MeOH (Ce-10) and [Ce12O12(OH)4(acac)16(CH3COO)2]·6(CH3CN) (Ce-12), were prepared and structurally characterized. The Ce(acac)4 monomer contains CeIV. Crystallographic data and bond valence summation values for the Ce-10 and Ce-12 clusters are consistent with both clusters having a mixture of CeIII and CeIV cations. Ce L3-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy, performed on Ce-10, showed contributions from both CeIII and CeIV. The Ce-10 cluster is built from a hexameric cluster, with six CeIV sites, that is capped by two dimeric CeIII units. By comparison, Ce-12, which formed upon dissolution of Ce-10 in acetonitrile, consists of a central decamer built from edge sharing CeIV hexameric units, and two monomeric CeIII sites that are bound on the outer corners of the inner Ce10 core. Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry data for solutions prepared by dissolving Ce-10 in acetonitrile showed that the major ions could be attributed to Ce10 clusters that differed primarily in the number of acac1-, OH1-, MeO1-, and O2- ligands. Small angle X-ray scattering measurements for Ce-10 dissolved in acetonitrile showed structural units slightly larger than either Ce10 or Ce12 in solution, likely due to aggregation. Taken together, these results suggest that the acetylacetonate supported clusters can support diverse solution-phase speciation in organic solutions that could lead to stabilization of higher order cerium containing clusters, such as cluster sizes that are greater than the Ce10 and Ce12 reported herein.

Dimorphism of [Bi2O2(OH)](NO3) - the ordered Pna21 structure at 100 K

The re-investigation of [Bi2O2(OH)](NO3), dioxidodibismuth(III) hydroxide nitrate, on the basis of single-crystal X-ray diffraction data revealed an apparent structural phase transition of a crystal structure determined previously (space group Cmc21 at 173 K) to a crystal structure with lower symmetry (space group Pna21 at 100 K). The Cmc21 → Pna21 group-subgroup relationship between the two crystal structures is klassengleiche with index 2. In contrast to the crystal structure in Cmc21 with orientational disorder of the nitrate anion, disorder does not occur in the Pna21 structure. Apart from the disorder of the nitrate anion, the general structural set-up in the two crystal structures is very similar: [Bi2O2]2+ layers extend parallel to (001) and alternate with layers of (OH)- anions above and (NO3)- anions below the cationic layer. Whereas the (OH)- anion shows strong bonds to the BiIII cations, the (NO3)- anion weakly binds to the BiIII cations of the cationic layer. A rather weak O-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding inter-action between the (OH)- anion and the (NO3)- anion links adjacent sheets along [001].

Bismuth-Polyoxocation Coordination Networks: Controlling Nuclearity and Dimension-Dependent Photocatalysis

Bismuth-oxocluster nodes for metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) and coordination networks/polymers are less prolific than other families featuring zinc, zirconium, titanium, lanthanides, etc. However, Bi³⁺ is non-toxic, it readily forms polyoxocations, and its oxides are exploited in photocatalysis. This family of compounds provides opportunity in medicinal and energy applications. Here, we show that Bi node nuclearity depends on solvent polarity, leading to a family of Bi_x-sulfonate/carboxylate coordination networks with x = 1-38. Larger nuclearity-node networks were obtained from polar and strongly coordinating solvents, and we attribute the solvent's ability to stabilize larger species in solution. The strong role of the solvent and the lesser role of the linker in defining node topologies differ from other MOF syntheses, and this is due to the Bi³⁺ intrinsic lone pair that leads to weak node-linker interactions. We describe this family by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (eleven structures), obtained in pure forms and high yields. Ditopic linkers include NDS (1,5-naphthalenedisulfonate), DDBS (2,2'-[biphenyl-4,4'-diylchethane-2,1-diyl] dibenzenesulphonate), and NH₂-benzendicarboxylate (BDC). While the BDC and NDS linkers yield more open-framework topologies that resemble those obtained by carboxylate linkers, topologies with DDBS linkers appear to be in part driven by association between DDBS molecules. An in situ small-angle X-ray scattering study of Bi₃₈-DDBS reveals stepwise formation, including Bi₃₈-assembly, pre-organization in solution, followed by crystallization, confirming the less important role of the linker. We demonstrate photocatalytic hydrogen (H₂) generation with select members of the synthesized materials without the benefit of a co-catalyst. Band gap determination from X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and UV-vis data suggest the DDBS linker effectively absorbs in the visible range with ligand-to-Bi-node charge transfer. In addition, materials containing more Bi (larger Bi₃₈-nodes or Bi₆ inorganic chains) exhibit strong UV absorption, also contributing to effective photocatalysis by a different mechanism. All tested materials became black with extensive UV-vis exposure, and XPS, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray scattering of the black Bi₃₈-framework suggest that Bi⁰ is formed in situ, without phase segregation. This evolution leads to enhanced photocatalytic performance, perhaps due to increased light absorption.

Deposition of Nanosized Amino Acid Functionalized Bismuth Oxido Clusters on Gold Surfaces

Bismuth compounds are of growing interest with regard to potential applications in catalysis, medicine, and electronics, for which their environmentally benign nature is one of the key factors. One thing that currently hampers the further development of bismuth oxido-based materials, however, is the often low solubility of the precursors, which makes targeted immobilisation on substrates challenging. We present an approach towards the solubilisation of bismuth oxido clusters by introducing an amino carboxylate as a functional group. For this purpose, the bismuth oxido cluster [Bi38O45(NO3)20(dmso)28](NO3)4·4dmso (dmso = dimethyl sulfoxide) was reacted with the sodium salt of tert-butyloxycabonyl (Boc)-protected phenylalanine (L-Phe) to obtain the soluble and chiral nanocluster [Bi38O45(Boc–Phe–O)24(dmso)9]. The exchange of the nitrates by the amino carboxylates was proven by nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, as well as elemental analysis and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy. The solubility of the bismuth oxido cluster in a protic as well as an aprotic polar organic solvent and the growth mode of the clusters upon spin, dip, and drop coating on gold surfaces were studied by a variety of microscopy, as well as spectroscopic techniques. In all cases, the bismuth oxido clusters form crystalline agglomerations with size, height, and distribution on the substrate that can be controlled by the choice of the solvent and of the deposition method.

Bismuth(III) Forms Exceptionally Strong Complexes with Natural Organic Matter

The use of bismuth in the society has steadily increased during the last decades, both as a substitute for lead in hunting ammunition and various metallurgical applications, as well as in a range of consumer products. At the same time, the environmental behavior of bismuth is largely unknown. Here, the binding of bismuth(III) to organic soil material was investigated using extended X-ray absorption spectroscopy (EXAFS) and batch experiments. Moreover, the capacity of suwannee river fulvic acid (SRFA) to enhance the solubility of metallic bismuth was studied in a long-term (2 years) equilibration experiment. Bismuth(III) formed exceptionally strong complexes with the organic soil material, where >99% of the added bismuth(III) was bound by the solid phase, even at pH 1.2. EXAFS data suggest that bismuth(III) was bound to soil organic matter as a dimeric Bi³⁺ complex where one carboxylate bridges two Bi³⁺ ions, resulting in a unique structural stability. The strong binding to natural organic matter was verified for SRFA, dissolving 16.5 mmol Bi per gram carbon, which largely exceeds the carboxylic acid group density of this compound. Our study shows that bismuth(III) will most likely be associated with natural organic matter in soils, sediments, and waters.

Bismuth gallate coordination networks inspired by an active pharmaceutical ingredient

The effect of solvent has been investigated for the synthesis of bismuth gallate compounds, of which the water-based bismuth subgallate has been used as an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for...

Harnessing Bismuth Coordination Chemistry to Achieve Bright, Long-Lived Organic Phosphorescence

A new bismuth(III)-organic compound, Hphen[Bi₂(HPDC)₂(PDC)₂(NO₃)]·4H₂O (Bi-1; PDC = 2,6-pyridinedicarboxylate and phen = 1,10-phenanthroline), was synthesized, and the structure was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The compound was found to display bright-blue-green phosphorescence in the solid state under UV irradiation, with a luminescent lifetime of 1.776 ms at room temperature. The room temperature and low-temperature (77 K) emission spectra exhibited the vibronic structure characteristic of Hphen phosphorescence. Time-dependent density functional theory studies showed that the excitation pathway arises from an energy transfer from the dimeric structural unit to Hphen, with participation from a nine-coordinate Bi center. The triplet state of Hphen is believed to be stabilized via supramolecular interactions, which, when coupled with the heavy-atom effect induced by Bi, leads to the observed long-lived luminescence. The compound displayed a solid-state quantum yield of over 27%. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first such compound to exhibit phenanthrolinium phosphorescence with such long-lived, room temperature lifetimes in the solid state. To further elucidate the energy-transfer mechanism, Ln³⁺ (Ln = Eu, Tb, Sm) ions were successfully doped into the parent compound, and the resulting materials exhibited dual emission from Hphen and Ln, promoting tunability of the emission color.

Structural Changes during the Growth of Atomically Precise Metal Oxido Nanoclusters from Combined Pair Distribution Function and Small-Angle X-ray Scattering Analysis

The combination of in situ pair distribution function (PDF) analysis and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) enables analysis of the formation mechanism of metal oxido nanoclusters and cluster-solvent interactions as they take place. Herein, we demonstrate the method for the formation of clusters with a [Bi38 O45 ] core. Upon dissolution of crystalline [Bi6 O5 (OH)3 (NO3 )5 ]⋅3 H2 O in DMSO, an intermediate rapidly forms, which slowly grows to stable [Bi38 O45 ] clusters. To identify the intermediate, we developed an automated modeling method, where smaller [Bix Oy ] structures based on the [Bi38 O45 ] framework are tested against the data. [Bi22 O26 ] was identified as the main intermediate species, illustrating how combined PDF and SAXS analysis is a powerful tool to gain insight into nucleation on an atomic scale. PDF also provides information on the interaction between nanoclusters and solvent, which is shown to depend on the nature of the ligands on the cluster surface.

Rapid aqueous-phase synthesis of highly stable K0.3Bi0.7F2.4 upconversion nanocrystalline particles at low temperature

Lanthanide-doped K_0.3Bi_0.7F_2.4 nanocrystalline particles are synthesized through an ultrafast (only 1 min) and aqueous-phase chemical method at low temperature (room temperature ∼ 90 °C), which can be used as pigments for anti-counterfeiting.

Bismuth for Controlled Assembly/Disassembly of Transition-Metal Oxo Clusters, Defining Reaction Pathways in Inorganic Synthesis and Nature

Trivalent bismuth is a unique heavy p-block ion. It is highly insoluble in water, due to strong hydrolysis tendencies, and known for low toxicity. Its lone pair is structure-directing, providing framework materials with structural flexibility, leading to piezoelectric and multiferroic function. The flexibility it provides is also advantageous for dopants and vacancies, giving rise to conductivity, luminescence, color, and catalytic properties. We are exploiting Bi³⁺ in a completely different way, as a knob to "tune" the solubility and stability of transition-metal oxo clusters. The lone pair allows capping and isolation of metastable cluster forms for solid-state and solution characterization. With controlled release of the bismuth (via bismuth oxyhalide metathesis), the metal oxo clusters can be retained in aqueous solution, and we can track their reaction pathways and conversion to related metal oxyhydroxides. Here we present isolation of a bismuth-stabilized Mn^IV cluster, fully formulated [Mn^IV₆Bi₂KO₉(CH₃COO)₁₀(H₂O)₃(NO₃)₂] (Mn₆Bi₂). In addition to characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, solution characterization in acetonitrile and acetonitrile-acetic acid by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and electrospray ionization mass spectrometry shows high stability and the tendency of Mn₆Bi₂ to link into chains by bridging the bismuth (and potassium) caps with nitrate and acetate ligands. On the other hand, the dissolution of Mn₆Bi₂ in water, with and without metathesis of the bismuth, leads to the precipitation of related oxyhydroxide phases, which we characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), electron diffraction, and energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and the conversion pathway by SAXS. Without removal of bismuth, amorphous manganese/bismuth oxyhydroxides precipitate within a day. On the other hand, metathesis of BiOBr yields a solution containing soluble manganese oxyhydroxide prenucleation clusters that assemble and precipitate over 10 days. This allows tracking of the reaction pathway via SAXS. We observe one-dimensional growth of species, followed by the precipitation of nanocrystalline hollandite (identified by TEM). The hollandite is presumably templated by the K⁺, originally in the crystalline lattice of Mn₆Bi₂. In this Forum Article that combines new results and prospective, we compare these results to prior studies in which we first introduced the use of capping Bi³⁺ to stabilize reactive clusters, followed by destabilization to understand reaction pathways in synthesis and low-temperature geochemistry.

From a Cerium-Doped Polynuclear Bismuth Oxido Cluster to β-Bi2O3:Ce

The simultaneous hydrolysis of Bi(NO₃)₃·5H₂O and Ce(NO₃)₃·6H₂O results in the formation of novel heterometallic bismuth oxido clusters with the general formula [Bi₃₈O₄₅(NO₃)₂₄(DMSO)_28+δ]:Ce (DMSO = dimethyl sulfoxide; cerium content <1.50%), which is demonstrated by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. The incorporation of cerium into the cluster core is a result of the interplay of hydrolysis and condensation of the metal nitrates in the presence of oxygen. Diffuse-reflectance UV-vis and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveal the presence of Ce^IV in the final bismuth oxido clusters as a result of oxidation of the cerium source. The cerium atoms are statistically distributed mainly on the bismuth atom positions of the central [Bi₆O₉] motif of the [Bi₃₈O₄₅] cluster core. Hydrolysis and subsequent annealing of the bismuth oxido clusters in the temperature range of 300-400 °C provides β-Bi₂O₃:Ce samples with slightly lowered band gaps of approximately 2.3 eV compared to the undoped β-Bi₂O₃ (approximately 2.4 eV). The sintering behavior of β-Bi₂O₃ is significantly affected by the cerium dopant. Finally, differences in the efficiency of the as-prepared β-Bi₂O₃:Ce and undoped β-Bi₂O₃ samples in the photocatalytic decomposition of the biocide triclosan in an aqueous solution under visible-light irradiation are demonstrated.

Development of an autonomous solvent extraction system to isolate astatine-211 from dissolved cyclotron bombarded bismuth targets

Cyclotron-produced astatine-211 (²¹¹At) shows tremendous promise in targeted alpha therapy (TAT) applications due to its attractive half-life and its 100% α-emission from nearly simultaneous branched alpha decay. Astatine-211 is produced by alpha beam bombardment of naturally monoisotopic bismuth metal (²⁰⁹Bi) via the (α, 2n) reaction. In order to isolate the small mass of ²¹¹At (specific activity = 76 GBq·µg⁻¹) from several grams of acid-dissolved Bi metal, a manual milliliter-scale solvent extraction process using diisopropyl ether (DIPE) is routinely performed at the University of Washington. As this process is complex and time consuming, we have developed a fluidic workstation that can perform the method autonomously. The workstation employs two pumps to concurrently deliver the aqueous and organic phases to a mixing tee and in-line phase mixer. The mixed phases are routed to a phase settling reservoir, where they gravity settle. Finally, each respective phase is withdrawn into its respective pump. However, development of a phase boundary sensor, placed in tandem with the phase settling reservoir, was necessary to communicate to the system when withdrawal of the denser aqueous phase was complete (i.e., the intersection of the two phases was located). The development and optimization of the autonomous solvent extraction system is described, and the ²¹¹At yields from several ~1.1 GBq-level ²¹¹At processing runs are reported.

Synthesis of Ag/AgCl modified anhydrous basic bismuth nitrate from BiOCl and the antibacterial activity

Novel nanocomposite of Ag/AgCl and a single phase of anhydrous basic bismuth nitrate (ABBN)-Bi₆O_4.46(OH)_3.54(NO₃)_5.54 with efficient antibacterial activity was prepared from BiOCl. Microstructure was characterized as AgCl nanotubes and Ag nanoparticles mixed with Bi₆O_4.46(OH)_3.54(NO₃)_5.54 nanosheets in nanometer scale. Antibacterial activity of the composite was tested by agar disc diffusion and agar dilution methods using Escherichia coli as target bacteria. The diameter of inhibition zone of Ag/AgCl/ABBN is 17.0 mm while that of bulk BBN is 8.1 mm. The MIC value of Ag/AgCl/ABBN is ascertained as 35 μg mL^-1. Results prove that Ag/AgCl/ABBN nanocomposite has much higher antibacterial activity in comparison with bulk basic bismuth nitrate.

Hybrid Rare-Earth(III)/Bismuth(III) Clusters Assembled with Phosphonates

tert-Butylphosphonic acid and rare-earth precursors are employed to construct four trinuclear rare-earth phosphonate clusters, RE₃( ^tBuPO₃)₂(hfac)₅(CH₃OH)₈]·2CH₃OH (RE = Eu, Y, Pr, and Sm; hfac = hexafluoroacetylacetonate), which are composed of three RE³⁺ ions alternately bridged by two phosphonates. With the introduction of bismuth oxido diketonate, [Bi₉O₇(hfac)₁₃], three different types of rare-earth/bismuth phosphonate clusters, Bi₁₂RE₂ (RE = Pr and Sm), Bi₆Eu₇, and Bi₆Y₉, are successfully obtained via variation of the reaction conditions, and they are the first reported examples of bismuth-oxo clusters encapsulated by cyclic rare-earth-oxo or rare-earth/bismuth-oxo phosphonate clusters, respectively. These clusters show obvious absorption in the UV region, and the Eu-containing clusters exhibit bright-red fluorescence.

Investigations on the growth of bismuth oxido clusters and the nucleation to give metastable bismuth oxide modifications

Investigations on bismuth oxido clusters are focused on the nucleation and growth processes towards large cluster motifs and their stability in the gas phase, which has been studied by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS), molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and X-ray scattering experiments evaluated by pair distribution function (PDF) analysis. The formation of metastable bismuth(III) oxides was obtained by hydrolysis of polynuclear bismuth oxido clusters and subsequent thermal treatment under non-equilibrium conditions. Temperature dependent PXRD and Raman spectroscopic experiments gave insight into the formation process of metastable β-Bi

Anionic Bismuth-Oxido Carboxylate Clusters with Transition Metal Countercations

Six new anionic bismuth-oxido clusters containing trifluoroacetate ligands were prepared. These include two new Bi₆O₈ clusters: [M(NCMe)₂(H₂O)₄]₃[Bi₆(μ₃-O)₄(μ₃-OH)₄(CF₃CO₂)₁₂] with an octahedral Bi₆O₄(OH)₄ core (M = Ni, 1a; Co, 1b) and four Bi₄O₂ clusters, {[Co(NCMe)₆][Bi₄(μ₃-O)₂(CF₃CO₂)₁₀]}_n (2a), {[Co{HC(MeCO)₂(MeCNH)}₂][Bi₄(μ₃-O)₂(CF₃CO₂)₁₀]·2[CF₃CO₂]·2[CF₃CO₂H]·2[H₂O]}_n (2b), {[Cu(NCMe)₄]₂[Bi₄(μ₃-O)₂(CF₃CO₂)₁₀]·2[CF₃CO₂H]}_n (2c), and {[Me₄N]₂[Bi₄(μ₃-O)₂(CF₃CO₂)₁₀]·2[CF₃CO₂H]}_n (2d). These are among the first bismuth-oxido anionic clusters synthesized, and the first to have transition metal countercations. The Bi₆O₈ anion in 1a and 1b is a high-symmetry octahedron. Additionally, two of the new Bi₄O₂ clusters are arranged in 1D polymeric structures via bridging carboxylate ligands. The cation in compound 2c had not been previously characterized and was also observed in the synthesis of [Co{HC(MeCO)₂(MeCNH)}₂][Bi(NO₃)₆] (3). The new compounds were characterized using single crystal X-ray crystallography and elemental analysis.

Photoluminescence, semiconductive properties and theoretical calculation of a novel bismuth biimidazole compound

A novel bismuth biimidazole compound, [(BiCl₄ )-(μ₂ -Cl)₂ -(BiCl₄ )][(CH₃ )₄ -2,2'-biimidazole]₂ (1) with the (CH₃ )₄ -2,2'-biimidazole moiety generated in situ, was successfully prepared under hydrothermal conditions and structurally characterized using a single-crystal X-ray diffraction technique. Compound 1 is characteristic of an isolated structure, consisting of [(BiCl₄ )-(μ₂ -Cl)₂ -(BiCl₄ )] and (CH₃ )₄ -2,2'-biimidazole moieties. Solid-state photoluminescence measurement reveals that it shows a strong emission in the blue region. Time-dependent density functional theory studies show that this emission is ascribed to metal-to-ligand charge transfer. The solid-state diffuse reflectance spectrum reveals the existence of an optical band gap of 2.09 eV, indicating that it is a semiconductor.

Bismuth(iii)dichalcogenones as highly active catalysts in multiple C–C bond formation reactions

Thirteen new bismuth(iii) dichalcogenone derivatives with diversified structural motifs were successfully isolated and used as potential catalysts for the synthesis of triaryl- or triheteroarylmethanes.

Simple soluble Bi(iii) salts as efficient catalysts for the oxidation of alkanes with H2O2

Simple soluble Bi(iii) salts exhibit pronounced catalytic activity in the oxidation of inert alkanes with H₂O₂via a radical mechanism with participation of the HO˙ radicals.

Easy synthesis of high-purity BiFeO3 nanoparticles: new insights derived from the structural, optical, and magnetic characterization

Synthesis of high-purity BiFeO3 is very important for practical applications. This task has been very challenging for the scientific community because nonstoichiometric Bi(x)Fe(y)O(z) species typically appear as byproducts in most of the synthesis routes. In the present work, we outline the synthesis of BiFeO3 nanostructures by a combustion reaction, employing tartaric acid or glycine as promoter. When glycine is used, a porous BiFeO3 network composed of tightly assembled and sintered nanocrystallites is obtained. The origin of high purity BiFeO3 nanomaterial as well as the formation of other byproducts is explained on the basis of metal-ligand interactions. Structural, morphological, and optical analysis of the intermediate that preceded the formation of porous BiFeO3 structures was accomplished. The thorough characterization of BiFeO3 nanoparticles (NPs) included powder X-ray diffraction (XRD); scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM); thermogravimetric analysis (TGA); UV-vis electronic absorption (diffuse reflectance mode), Raman scattering, Mössbauer, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopies; and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The byproducts like β-Bi2O3 and 5 nm Bi2Fe4O9 NPs were obtained when tartaric acid was the promoter. However, no such byproducts were formed using glycine in the synthesis process. The average sizes of the crystallites for BiFeO3 were 26 and 23 nm, for tartaric acid and glycine promoters, respectively. Two band gap energies, 2.27 and 1.66 eV, were found for BiFeO3 synthesized with tartaric acid, obtained from Tauc's plots. A remarkable selective enhancement in the intensity of the BiFeO3 A1 mode, as a consequence of the resonance Raman effect, was observed and discussed for the first time in this work. For glycine-promoted BiFeO3 nanostructures, the measured magnetization (M) value at 20,000 Oe (0.64 emu g(-1)) was ∼5 times lower than that obtained using tartaric acid. The difference between the M values has been associated with the different morphologies of the BiFeO3 nanostructures.