A rapid and versatile method for solvothermal synthesis of Sb2O3 nanocrystals under mild conditions

Abstract

A very simple strategy for preparing Sb2O3 nanostructures under ambient aqueous condition is presented. Sb2O3 nanoparticles with an average size of approximately 44 nm were synthesised using wet chemical method. Senarmontite cubical structure Sb2O3 nanocrystals have been selectively harvested in high yield. The as-obtained nanoproducts were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), ultraviolet–visible near infrared spectroscopy (UV–Vis-NIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses. The size of the Sb2O3 nanoparticles was found to be in the range 44–385 nm from Debye–Scherrer equation. The X-ray density, surface area and porosity of Sb2O3 nanocrystals were found to be 2.969 g/cm3, 2.0208 × 1014 cm2/g and 1.0185 × 10−3 m, respectively. From the UV–Vis-NIR analysis, the band gap of Sb2O3 nanocrystals was estimated to be 5.6 eV at 220 nm. The various functional groups in the samples were identified using FTIR spectral studies. The SEM images showed a very spiky morphology. Very small spherical-shaped objects were clearly observed within these structures. The extinction coefficient, real and imaginary part of the dielectric constant, electric susceptibility and the refractive index of Sb2O3 nanocrystals were 7.605 × 10−9, 0.2851 × 10−17, 3.747 × 10−8, 0.48322 and 2.4636, respectively.