Synthesis and characterization of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-capped bismuth nanospheres

Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-capped bismuth nanospheres were synthesized by a simple and convenient wet chemical method. In the process, bismuth nitrate was reduced by ethylene glycol in the presence of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) at 185 degrees C in air. PVP was used as a protecting agent to prevent oxidation of the sperical bismuth particles. PVP molecules were absorbed on the surface of bismuth nanospheres through the interaction of O-Bi bond which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) measurement. The thermal analysis shows the samples contained about 73 wt.% metallic bismuth. The optical absorption spectrum of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone)-capped bismuth nanosphere shows a strong absorption band at 275 nm. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.