Characterization of hexagonal Bi2Te3 nanosheets prepared by solvothermal method

Bi2Te3 nanosheets were prepared by the solvothermal method. The XRD diffraction patterns indicated that all the samples had a single hexagonal lattice structure. Both scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were employed to characterize their size, morphology, and microstructure. The fabricated Bi2Te3 nanosheets showed obvious preferred growth orientations along the a - and b -axes. Based on experimental results for the typical thickness of the nanosheets, a possible phenomenological mechanism for the formation of the Bi2Te3 nanosheets was proposed considering the competition between gravity and Van der Waals forces.