Shape-Tunable Selective Synthesis of Bismuth Fluoride Nanostructures for Versatile Applications

Abstract

A facile approach for shape-tunable synthesis of bismuth fluoride nanoparticles is reported. The approach is based on the homogeneous precipitation of precursor materials in mixed solvents (H2O and ethylene glycol) and only ethylene glycol. The influencing factors on the morphology of the particles, i.e., solvent ratio, F/Bi ratio, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, are studied in detail, and are schematically illustrated. The morphology, crystallinity, structure, and optical properties of the prepared samples are characterized by using a field-emission scanning electron microscope, transmission electron microscope, X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer, and spectrofluorometer, respectively. The hollow sphere-shaped nanoparticle doped with Eu3+ ions exhibit reddish orange emission under ultraviolet illumination due to the symmetric environment around the dopant ions. Subsequently, the effect of dopant concentration on the optical properties is also evaluated. The temperature-dependent photoluminescence emission spectra reveal good thermal stability. The obtained results provide an efficient strategy for synthesizing the shape-tunable nanoparticles with excellent optical properties.