Synthesis and luminescence properties of hand-like α-Bi2O3 microcrystals

This letter reports a facile hydrothermal approach to the preparation of novel hand-like alpha-Bi2O3 microcrystals that are assembled by several short rods with the diameter of about 500 nm. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize the structure and morphology of these novel structures. The cooperative effect between the surfactant (oleic acid) and the coordinating agent (EDTA) was an important key to obtain these novel hand-like structures of alpha-Bi2O3. The luminescence properties of alpha-Bi2O3 microcrystals exhibited an important dependence on the surface states and the shape feature of products, which were mainly determined by the preparation conditions. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.