Preparation, characterization, and photoluminescence property of core-shell (BiO)2CO3@Bi2S3 nanowires

Bi2S3-containing nanocomposites have attracted considerable attention due to their outstanding photocatalytic activity. However, little study was focused on the preparation and PL property of core-shell (BiO)2CO3@Bi2S3 nanowires. Herein we report the in situ preparation, characterization and PL property of (BiO)2CO3@Bi2S3 core-shell nanowires. (BiO)2CO3@Bi2S3 core-shell nanowires with different sulfur content were synthesized in situ by irradiating (BiO)2CO3 nanowires in xanthate solution. These nanowires showed strong photoluminescence (PL) emission from violet to blue light range. The XRD patterns, EDS mapping images, HRTEM images, and XPS results demonstrated the formation of Bi2S3 shell on the surface of (BiO)2CO3 core. SEM and TEM images indicated that the core-shell nanowires were 20–40 nm in diameter and up to tens of micrometers in length. The sulfur content in core-shell nanowires increased from 0.31% to 1.13% with increasing reacted times. EDS mapping showed that S element was uniformly distributed on the surface of nanowires. The PL peaks at 395, 418, 441 and 467 nm of (BiO)2CO3@Bi2S3 core-shell nanowires with low S concentration were contributed to the intrinsic emission of (BiO)2CO3 core, Bi-containing intermediate-induced emission, BiO cluster-induced emission, and surface defect-induced emission of (BiO)2CO3 core, respectively. A new shoulder peak at 427 nm appeared in the PL spectrum of (BiO)2CO3@Bi2S3 core-shell nanowires with 1.13% S, which could be contributed the electronic coupling effect between Bi2S3 shell and (BiO)2CO3 core. We anticipate that the core-shell nanowires will find use in photochemical and photo-electronic fields.