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

A very simple strategy for preparing Sb 2 O 3 nanostructures under ambient aqueous condition is presented. Sb 2 O 3 nanoparticles with an average size of approximately 44 nm were synthesised using wet chemical method. Senarmontite cubical structure Sb 2 O 3 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 Sb 2 O 3 nanoparticles was found to be in the range 44–385 nm from Debye–Scherrer equation. The X-ray density, surface area and porosity of Sb 2 O 3 nanocrystals were found to be 2.969 g/cm 3 , 2.0208 × 10 14 cm 2 /g and 1.0185 × 10 −3 m, respectively. From the UV–Vis-NIR analysis, the band gap of Sb 2 O 3 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 Sb 2 O 3 nanocrystals were 7.605 × 10 −9 , 0.2851 × 10 −17 , 3.747 × 10 −8 , 0.48322 and 2.4636, respectively.