Photoinduced synthesis of Bi2O3 nanotubes based on oriented attachment

Photoinduced synthesis of inorganic nanomaterials has attracted great attention recently. Herein, we demonstrate the facile photoinduced synthesis of Bi2O3 nanotubes with a uniform pore size of about 2.2 nm at room temperature. Ultraviolet irradiation promoted the crystallization of amorphous bismuth hydroxide into bismuth oxide. The formation of this special tubular morphology of α-Bi2O3 was attributed to the small size of the bismuth hydroxide precursor and oriented attachment mechanism. What's more, α-Bi2O3 nanotubes can further convert to Bi2O2CO3 nanosheets in organic solution with ultraviolet irradiation.