Fabrication of δ-Bi[sub 2]O[sub 3] Nanowires

nanowires were successfully fabricated using a thermal enhanced process on electroplated Bi nanowires. Bi was first prepared using template-assisted electroplating. After thermal modification at 350°C for 12 h in air, nanowires with high-temperature phase (δ-phase) were obtained. A Bi/ core-shell structure was examined by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) after the Bi nanowires heated at 250°C for 12 h. The oxidation reaction of Bi occurred at temperatures below the melting point of Bi (271.3°C). According to the analysis of HRTEM, the formation of high-temperature δ-phase is caused by the coherent relationship between Bi and nanowires.