Structural and thermal properties of chemically synthesized Bi2Te3 nanoparticles

Bi₂Te₃ nanoparticles (NPs) have been synthesized at 50?°C by a low-cost wet chemical route. The structural properties of product sample were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and scanning electron microscopy. Thermal properties of product sample were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetric (TG), and transient plane source techniques. The XRD and selected area electron diffraction of Bi₂Te₃ NPs result showed the polycrystalline nature with a rhombohedral (R3m) structure of the nanocrystallites. The average grain size of Bi₂Te₃ NPs was found to be about 30?nm by XRD and TEM measurements. DSC result shows one endothermic peak and one exothermic peak. TG result shows that only 48?% mass loss has occurred in Bi₂Te₃ sample. The obtained lower thermal conductivity of Bi₂Te₃ NPs is about 0.3?W m^?1 K^?1 at room temperature, which is caused by considering the crystalline nature of this material.