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Shape‐stabilized Bi 2 Te 3 ‐capped Tellurium Nanorods
Author(s) -
Dong Hailong,
Popescu Radian,
Gerthsen Dagmar,
Feldmann Claus
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
zeitschrift für anorganische und allgemeine chemie
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.354
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1521-3749
pISSN - 0044-2313
DOI - 10.1002/zaac.201300536
Subject(s) - nanorod , tellurium , materials science , high resolution transmission electron microscopy , polyvinylpyrrolidone , colloid , chemical engineering , nanotechnology , nanocrystal , crystallography , chemistry , polymer chemistry , metallurgy , transmission electron microscopy , engineering
Abstract Tellurium nanorods with a diameter of 10–20 nm and a length of 30–60 nm are prepared via hydrazine‐driven reduction of telluric acid. The size of the nanorods is controlled by the experimental conditions, including the N 2 H 4 ·H 2 O–to–H 2 TeO 4 ·2H 2 O ratio and the addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). Although obtained at 0 °C, the as‐prepared tellurium nanorods are readily crystalline. For low aspect ratios (<5), the colloid and shape stability of the nanoparticles turned out as low; they show rapid agglomeration and merging due to storage and/or due to gentle heating (e.g., stirring, centrifugation). To increase the colloid and shape stability, a thin capping of Bi 2 Te 3 is therefore established after the synthesis by addition of Bi(C 6 H 5 ) 3 . As a result, Te@Bi 2 Te 3 core@shell nanorods are obtained, exhibiting a Bi 2 Te 3 capping layer of 6 nm in thickness. Composition and structure are validated by low‐energy STEM, HRTEM, HAADF‐STEM, XRD, FT‐IR, and line‐scan EDXS. The shape‐stabilized Bi 2 Te 3 ‐capped tellurium nanorods can become an interesting precursor for Bi‐Te‐based thin‐film solar cells, thermoelectrics, or topological insulators.