Sonochemical Method for the Preparation of Bismuth Sulfide Nanorods

Bismuth sulfide nanorods have been successfully prepared by a sonochemical method from an aqueous solution of bismuth nitrate and sodium thiosulfate in the presence of complexing agents. Bismuth sulfide nanorods with different diameters and lengths could be obtained by using different complexing agents including ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, triethanolamine, and sodium tartrate. Bi2S3 nanorods have also been successfully prepared by choosing thioacetamide as the sulfur source. When 20% N,N-dimethylformamide was used as the solvent, higher yield was observed and smaller sizes of Bi2S3 nanorods were obtained. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, IR spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Probable mechanisms for the sonochemical formation of Bi2S3 nanorods in aqueous solutions are proposed.