Abstract
The bismuth oxide (Bi2O3) nanoparticles are easily synthesized from a solution of bismuth nitrate pentahydrate (Bi(NO3)3·5H2O)
in ethylene glycol by a hydrolysis solvothermal route at temperatures of 120-150C. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron
microscopy and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy are used to characterize the products. The results show that the
reaction temperature, the reaction duration and the initial solution concentration play important roles in the formation of the
Bi2O3 nanoparticles, and all the as-synthesized Bi2O3 samples have the cubic phase structure. In addition, studies of the
photocatalytic properties by exposure to visible light irradiation demonstrate that the as-obtained Bi2O3 nanoparticles show
potential photocatalytic application.