Low temperature micelle-template assisted growth of Bi(2)S(3) nanotubes

The growth of Bi(2)S(3) nanotubes through a simple soft chemical route using the surfactant Triton-X 100 as the template at the relatively very low temperature of 115 degrees C/12 h has been reported for the first time. These nanotubes are nearly uniform in dimensions, with diameter around 120 nm and length up to 8 microm, their nature being single crystalline. The reaction conditions are optimized. Development of nanotubes and nanoparticles from the same precursor is discussed. The optical properties of the nanotubes are studied by means of UV-visible and photoluminescence spectra. The band gap calculated from the absorption spectra is found to be 1.76 eV, indicating a considerable blue shift relative to the bulk.