Optical and photocatalytic properties of indium phosphide nanoneedles and nanotubes

Large scale indium phosphide (InP) nanoneedles and nanotubes were synthesized through a facile solvothermal reaction. The morphology and microstructure of the samples were analyzed by employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Raman spectroscopy, and Ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) measurements showed that the InP nanoneedles and nanotubes possessed a pronounced blue shift in contrast to the bulk counterpart, which was ascribed to the crystalline defects effect. Moreover, the InP nanotubes exhibited an enhanced photocatalytic performance as compared to the InP nanoneedles and nanoparticles.