Synthesis and characterization of crystalline β-Bi2O3 nanobelts

We synthesized β-Bi2O3 nanobelts on silicon substrates without using a metal catalyst. Trimethylbismuth and O2 were taken as the source of bismuth and oxygen, respectively. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy studies confirmed the formation of tetragonal Bi2O3 phase. The typical width of the β-Bi2O3 nanobelts was in the range of 40–400 nm. We suggested that the growth of β-Bi2O3 nanobelts was mainly controlled by a vapor–solid mechanism. Photoluminescence measurements at room temperature exhibited a visible light emission band peaking at around 2.81 eV.