Controllable Synthesis of One-Dimensional Chinelike Superstructures of Homogeneous Bi_100–xSb_x Alloys via a Template-Free Electrodeposition

Abstract

superstructures are attracting increasing interests because of their unique physical and chemical properties. In our work, 1D chinelike superstructures of homogeneous Bi 100-x Sb x (x ) 0-100) alloys were synthesized in aqueous solutions via a template-free electrochemical route at room temperature. The cyclic voltammetric analysis and the X-ray diffraction (XRD) study proved that Bi III and Sb III can be coreduced as a homogeneous solid solution; the Bi/Sb ratio in the alloy was greatly correlated to that in the aqueous solution, while also being affected by the deposition potential. The structures of the products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). These 1D chinelike superstructures consisted of orderly aligned subcrystallites with only slight orientational distortion. The formation of these 1D superstructures was affected mainly by the deposition potential, and as the deposition potential became less and less negative, the products changed gradually from fine dendrites to big 1D chinelike superstructures. The orientational distortion in the structure, which is the reason for the chinelike pattern, might enhance the phonon scattering at subcrystallite boundaries and thus reduce the thermoconductivity, resulting in the improvement of the thermoelectric property.

Electrochemical Synthesis of Bi1–xSbx Nanowires with Simultaneous Control on Size, Composition, and Surface Roughness

“…Most works reporting the synthesis of NWs comprises a limited range of sizes (diameter >40 nm) or composition. Bi 1– x Sb x superstructures with diameters of 200–300 nm were fabricated using a templateless method . Using the template method, thinner nanowires have been synthesized.…”

“…Bi 1−x Sb x superstructures with diameters of 200−300 nm were fabricated using a templateless method. 9 Using the template method, thinner nanowires have been synthesized. Thus, by pressure injection in alumina (AAO) templates, Bi 1−x Sb x NWs with diameters 40 and 65 nm and x = 0.00, 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 were fabricated.…”

Toward high-performance nanostructured thermoelectric materials: the progress of bottom-up solution chemistry approaches

“…As a result the efficiencies became comparable with the optimized bulk values. For example, the preparation and shape control of electrochemically deposited PbTe or Bi 2 Te 3 nanostructured thin films and nanowires has been well investigated, 15,16,24,27,[57][58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65]67,68,74,[105][106][107][108][109][110][111][112][113] but most of the electrochemically deposited nanowires were poor in thermopower performances, especially their lower electrical conductivities, compared to the regular bulk ones. In a recent report, 112 the Bi 2 Te 3 nanowires were prepared by a typical electrochemical deposition approach but with careful post-synthesis treatment and were fabricated as a thermoelectric device.…”

Nucleation and Growth of Bismuth Electrodeposition from Alkaline Electrolyte

“…Owing to its large magnetoresistance, [1][2][3][4][5] thermoelectric efficiency 6 and interesting quantum effects, 7 Bi films possessed many applications in electrochromic devices, environmental detection, catalysis, superconductivity, thermoelectric, and piezoelectric. [8][9][10][11][12][13] In recent years, electrodeposition is the least expensive, effective, and readily adoptable method to deposit Bi films. Much of previous studies of the electrodeposition of Bi films from nitrate, perchlorate, lactate, silicate, sulfate and pyrophosphate electrolytes.…”