Selective Synthesis of Bismuth or Bismuth Selenide Nanosheets from a Metal Organic Precursor: Investigation of their Catalytic Performance for Water Splitting

作者：Shumaila Razzaque, Malik Dilshad Khan, Muhammad Aamir, Manzar Sohail, Sanket Bhoyate, Ram K. Gupta, Muhammad Sher, Javeed Akhtar, Neerish Revaprasadu · 发表于：Inorganic Chemistry · 年份：2021 · DOI：10.1021/acs.inorgchem.0c02668 · 被引用次数：62 · 研究领域：Advanced Photocatalysis Techniques、2D Materials and Applications、Advanced Thermoelectric Materials and Devices

High Resolution Image Download MS PowerPoint Slide The development of cost-effective, functional materials that can be efficiently used for sustainable energy generation is highly desirable. Herein, a new molecular precursor of bismuth (tris(selenobenzoato)bismuth(III), [Bi(SeOCPh) 3 ]), has been used to prepare selectively Bi or Bi 2 Se 3 nanosheets via a colloidal route by the judicious control of the reaction parameters. The Bi formation mechanism was investigated, and it was observed that the trioctylphosphine (TOP) plays a crucial role in the formation of Bi. Employing the vapor deposition method resulted in the formation of exclusively Bi 2 Se 3 films at different temperatures. The synthesized nanomaterials and films were characterized by p-XRD, TEM, Raman, SEM, EDX, AFM, XPS, and UV–vis spectroscopy. A minimum sheet thickness of 3.6 nm (i.e., a thickness of 8–9 layers) was observed for bismuth, whereas a thickness of 4 nm (i.e., a thickness of 4 layers) was observed for Bi 2 Se 3 nanosheets. XPS showed surface oxidation of both materials and indicated an uncapped surface of Bi, whereas Bi 2 Se 3 had a capping layer of oleylamine, resulting in reduced surface oxidation. The potential of Bi and Bi 2 Se 3 nanosheets was tested for overall water-splitting application. The OER and HER catalytic performances of Bi 2 Se 3 indicate overpotentials of 385 mV at 10 mA cm –2 and 220 mV, with Tafel slopes of 122 and 178 mV dec –1, respectively. In comparison, Bi showed a much lower...