Solvothermal synthesis of polycrystalline tellurium nanoplates and their conversion into single crystalline nanorods

Abstract

Uniform and polycrystalline tellurium nanoplates with a thickness of 100–300 nm can be rapidly synthesized by a simple solvothermal method in mixtures of water and ethanediamine at 180 °C with the assistance of glucose. By adjusting the concentration of glucose, tellurium microrods and nanoplates can be prepared. Based on the electron microscope observations, a possible mechanism involved the self-assembly process and dissolution–recrystallization mechanism is proposed for explaining the formation of polycrystalline tellurium nanoplates and their transformation into single crystalline nanorods. Furthermore, the Raman scattering measurement for the different morphologies is conducted, and the polycrystalline nanoplates present the stronger Raman scattering spectrum.