Paramagnetic Cu-doped Bi2Te3 nanoplates

Uniform Cu-doped Bi2Te3 hexagonal nanoplates with widths of similar to 200 nm and thicknesses of similar to 20 nm were synthesized using a solvothermal method. According to the structural characterization and compositional analysis, the Cu2+ ions were found to substitute Bi3+ ions in the lattice. High-level Cu doping induces a lattice distortion and decreases the crystal lattice by 1.17% in the a axis and 2.38% in the c axis. A paramagnetic state is observed in these nanoplates from 2 to 295 K, which is a significant difference from their diamagnetic un-doped Bi2Te3. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.