Self-assembly behaviour of bismuth oxide nanoparticles assisted by oleylamine

Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles are prepared by using a facile solution-based thermal decomposition method assisted by oleylamine. These Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles self assemble into nanobelts. The reaction time and temperature affect self-assembly behaviour of the Bi₂O₃ nanoparticles. Increasing the reaction time or temperature results in the larger size of nanoparticles, which leads to failure of formation of nanobelts. It is illustrated that oleylamine and the size of nanoparticles play key roles in the self-assembly of nanoparticles. Based on the experimental results, a formation mechanism of the self-assembled nanobelts was proposed and this method may be extended to fabrication of other metal oxide nanobelts.