A Simple and Quick Chemical Synthesis of Nanostructured Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3, and BixSb2-xTe3

We report a simple and quick route for the preparation of high-quality, nearly monodisperse Bi2Te3, Sb2Te3, and BixSb2-xTe3 nanocrystallites. The reactions of bismuth acetate or antimony acetate with Te in oleic acid result in pure phase of Bi2Te3 or Sb2Te3 nanoparticles, respectively. Also, ternary BixSb2-xTe3 nanoparticles were successfully synthesized using the same method. The size and morphology of the nanoparticles were controlled by varying the stabilizing agents. The as-prepared nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, and high-resolution transmission electron microscope using an energy dispersive spectroscopy.