Investigation of Optical and Photocatalytic Properties of Bismuth Nanospheres Prepared by a Facile Thermolysis Method

Pure phase bismuth nanospheres have been successfully prepared by thermolysis of bismuth acetate in oleylamine. The size distribution of the bismuth nanospheres was improved by quickly quenching the reaction as revealed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The ultraviolet–near-infrared (UV-NIR) absorbance spectrum of the bismuth nanospheres showed camel-like shapes located at 425 and 575 nm, which could be ascribed to the effect of the surface plasmon resonance and light scattering. Due to the absorption in the visible range, the prepared bismuth nanospheres showed good photocatalytic properties to the degradation of RhB.