Microwave synthesis of bismuth nanospheres using bismuth citrate as a precursor

Well-separated bismuth nanospheres were successfully synthesized from bismuth citrate and urea in diethylene glycol by a fast and simple microwave irradiation method. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). In this fabrication, bismuth citrate plays a critical role as a precursor in the formation of bismuth nanospheres. The amount of urea also has an influence on the size of the bismuth nanospheres. The possible growth mechanism of bismuth nanospheres was discussed on the basis of the investigation of reaction time.