Growth of Bismuth Sulfide Nanowire Using Bismuth Trisxanthate Single Source Precursors

Crystalline Bi₂S₃ nanorods, nanotapes, and nanocrystals were obtained from the solvent thermalysis of bismuth trisxanthate precursors and related bismuth dithiocarbamate species in ethylene glycol at 197 °C. Precursors with different structural motifs were designed to produce compounds with different thermal decomposition temparatures, i.e., the dimeric motif of Bi(S₂COR)₃ when R = methyl and ethyl was found to have a lower decomposition temperature compared to precursors adopting the polymeric structure, so that solvothermalysis of the former gave rise to short nanocrystals; while in the case of the latter, long nanofibers were produced instead. Chemical vapor deposition on silicon substrates yielded well-defined nanorods of various lengths and diameters for almost all precursors. Internal microstructure of the nanorods was studied by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy.