Green Synthesis and Morphological Evolution for Bi2Te3 Nanosystems via a PVP-Assisted Hydrothermal Method

Bi2Te3 has been extensively used because of its excellent thermoelectric properties at room temperature. Here, 230-420 nm of Bi2Te3 hexagonal nanosheets has been successfully synthesized via a "green" method by using ethylene glycol solution and applying polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as a surfactant. In addition, factors influencing morphological evolution are discussed in detail in this study. Among these parameters, the reaction temperature, molar mass of NaOH, different surfactants, and reaction duration are considered as the most essential. The results show that the existence of PVP is vital to the formation of a plate-like morphology. The reaction temperature and alkaline surroundings played essential roles in the formation of Bi2Te3 single crystals. By spark plasma sintering, the Bi2Te3 hexagonal nanosheets were hot pressed into solid-state samples. We also studied the transport properties of solid-state samples. The electrical conductivity σ was 18.5 × 103 Sm-1 to 28.69 × 103 Sm-1, and the Seebeck coefficient S was -90.4 to -113.3 µVK-1 over a temperature range of 300-550 K. In conclusion, the observation above could serve as a catalyst for future exploration into photocatalysis, solar cells, nonlinear optics, thermoelectric generators, and ultraviolet selective photodetectors of Bi2Te3 nanosheet-based photodetectors.

A review on bismuth-based nanocomposites for energy and environmental applications

Bismuth, a heavy metal which is found to be inexpensive and at a reduced cost, is utilized in the synthesis of different nanomaterials with novel structure, remarkable physical and chemical properties, adjustable bandgap, notable efficiency for photothermal conversion. These characteristics have made this element desirable for various applications such as storage and conversion of energy, electronics, sensors, photocatalysis, and other biomedical applications. These review papers are the vital points for the students, this report guides them to the research papers which focus on the impressive development in the area of bismuth and similar nanostructures. The purpose of the present review is to discuss the various synthesis routes of bismuth-based nanomaterials along with green synthesis, different nanostructures of bismuth, their significant properties, diverse applications and directions for the upcoming research. Therefore, with these different tuneable synthesis methods of bismuth-based nanomaterials combined with their novel properties, would elucidate on the future devices based on various nanostructures of bismuth.

Recent Advancements in Selenium-Based Cathode Materials for Lithium Batteries: A Mini-Review

Selenium (Se)-based cathode materials have garnered considerable interest for lithium-ion batteries due to their numerous advantages, including low cost, high volumetric capacity (3268 mAh cm−3), high density (4.82 g cm−3), ability to be cycled to high voltage (4.2 V) without failure, and environmental friendliness. However, they have low electrical conductivity, low coulombic efficiency, and polyselenide solubility in electrolytes (shuttle effect). These factors have an adverse effect on the electrochemical performance of Li-Se batteries, rendering them unsuitable for real-world use. In this study, we briefly examined numerous approaches to overcoming these obstacles, including selecting an adequate electrolyte, the composition of Se with carbonaceous materials, and the usage of metal selenide base electrodes. Furthermore, we examined the effect of introducing interlayers between the cathode and the separator. Finally, the remaining hurdles and potential study prospects in this expanding field are proposed to inspire further insightful work.

Hydrothermal synthesis of Bi2Se3 nanosheets by using gallic acid as a reductant

In this work, a simple and reproducible hydrothermal synthesis was employed to synthesize two-dimensional Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets by using gallic acid as a reductant. Meanwhile, the effects of the amounts of gallic acid and sodium hydroxide and the surfactant Triton X-100 on phase composition and morphology of the obtained Bi₂Se₃ were also studied. The results reveal that gallic acid could effectively reduce Se⁴⁺ to Se²⁻ and gave rise to the formation of Bi₂Se₃. Additionally, keeping the reaction conditions of molar ratio of gallic acid to the precursor elements (Bi + Se) at 1 to 1 (or higher) and using strong alkaline solutions were the key factors to synthesize high purity crystalline Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets. Furthermore, flower-like Bi₂Se₃ composed of nanosheets with a dozen nanometer thickness could be easily fabricated by adding appropriate amounts of Triton X-100. This work provides a novel approach for synthesis of ultra-thin Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets in a controllable manner.

We report an environmentally friendly hydrothermal approach to the synthesis of Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets by using gallic acid as a reductant in a controllable manner.

Syntheses of Nymphaea-like BiOCl with oxygen vacancies for effective removal of tetracycline hydrochloride

The Nymphaea-like structure and abundant oxygen vacancies result in excellent properties of BiOCl.

Temperature-Dependent Raman Scattering of Large Size Hexagonal Bi2Se3 Single-Crystal Nanoplates

Bi 2 Se 3 has extensive application as thermoelectric materials. Here, large-scale Bi 2 Se 3 single-crystal hexagonal nanoplates with size 7.50–10.0 μ m were synthesized successfully by hydrothermal method. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscope (SEM), and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were used to characterize the Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplates, which confirm the single-crystal quality and smooth surface morphology with large size. Micro-Raman spectra over a temperature range of 83–603 K were furthermore used to investigate the lattice dynamics of Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplates. Both 2A g 1 and 1E g 2 modes shift evidently with reduced temperature. The line shape demonstrates a significant broadening of full width at half maximum (FWHM) and red-shift of frequency with increased temperature. The temperature coefficient of A 1 g 1 , E g 2 , A 1 g 2 modes were determined to be −1.258 × 10 − 2 cm − 1 /K, −1.385 × 10 − 2 cm − 1 /K, −2.363 × 10 − 2 cm − 1 /K, respectively. Such low temperature coefficient may favor the obtaining of a high figure of merit (ZT) and indicate that Bi 2 Se 3 nanoplates were used as excellent candidates of thermoelectric materials.

Solution Growth of Two-Dimensional Bi₂Se₃ Nanosheets for Two-Color All-Optical Switching

Two-dimensional Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets with hexagonal shape are synthesized by a solution synthetic route. The Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets are 120 nm in edge width and 7 nm in thickness. The size of the Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets can be controlled by choosing different kinds of reducing agents including hydroxylamine and ethylenediamine. Subsequently, we demonstrate a configuration of two-color all-optical switching based on plasma channels effect using the as-synthesized Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets as an optical media. The signal light can be modulated as two states including dot and ring shape by changing the intensity of control light. The modulated signal light exhibits excellent spatial propagation properties. As a type of interesting optical material, ultrathin two-dimensional Bi₂Se₃ nanosheets might provide an effective option for photoelectric applications.

Solvothermal synthesis and electrochemical properties of S-doped Bi2Se3 hierarchical microstructure assembled by stacked nanosheets

Hierarchical S-doped Bi₂Se₃ microspheres assembled by stacked nanosheets were successfully synthesized as the anode of a lithium ion battery, which shows an initial discharge capacity of 771.3 mA h g⁻¹ with great potential in energy storage.