Decoding Thermal Stability: In situ Insights into Phase Controlled Phosphine-free Colloidal Bi-Te Nanosheets
Abstract
Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) is a prototypical V-VI semiconductor of interest for both thermoelectric and topological applications; however, phase-selective synthesis and thermal stability across the bismuth-telluride homologous series remain poorly understood. We report a facile and phosphine-free colloidal synthesis approach for a phase-selective synthesis of Bi2Te3, BiTe, and Bi4Te5 nanosheets with well-defined hexagonal morphology. By controlling precursor chemistry and reaction temperature, we achieved the selective formation of different phases within the (Bi2)m(Bi2Te3)n homologous series. Based on in situ heating studies, BiTe and Bi4Te5 nanosheets transform into Bi2Te3 at about 340 degree C, followed by preferential Te sublimation under vacuum or oxidation in air at higher temperatures. We discuss plausible mechanisms for these phase transformations. EDS analysis and FFT analysis of STEM images provide direct evidence for the temperature-dependent compositional and structural changes and highlight the close thermal relationship among these phases. These results not only advance fundamental understanding of phase stability and thermal behavior in bismuth-tellurides at the nanoscale but also establish a framework for understanding structural evolution in related homologous series, providing insights into their potential future applications in thermoelectric, spintronic, and topological systems.
Versions
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BibTeX
@misc{he2026decoding,
title = {{Decoding Thermal Stability: In situ Insights into Phase Controlled Phosphine-free Colloidal Bi-Te Nanosheets}},
author = {Fagui He and Kevin Oldenburg and Rostyslav Lesyuk and Christian Klinke},
howpublished = {arXiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2610.01722},
eprint = {2610.01722},
archivePrefix = {arXiv},
url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.01722},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Decoding Thermal Stability: In situ Insights into Phase Controlled Phosphine-free Colloidal Bi-Te Nanosheets
AU - Fagui He
AU - Kevin Oldenburg
AU - Rostyslav Lesyuk
AU - Christian Klinke
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
PB - arXiv
DO - 10.48550/arxiv.2610.01722
UR - https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.01722
AB - Bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) is a prototypical V-VI semiconductor of interest for both thermoelectric and topological applications; however, phase-selective synthesis and thermal stability across the bismuth-telluride homologous series remain poorly understood. We report a facile and phosphine-free colloidal synthesis approach for a phase-selective synthesis of Bi2Te3, BiTe, and Bi4Te5 nanosheets with well-defined hexagonal morphology. By controlling precursor chemistry and reaction temperature, we achieved the selective formation of different phases within the (Bi2)m(Bi2Te3)n homologous series. Based on in situ heating studies, BiTe and Bi4Te5 nanosheets transform into Bi2Te3 at about 340 degree C, followed by preferential Te sublimation under vacuum or oxidation in air at higher temperatures. We discuss plausible mechanisms for these phase transformations. EDS analysis and FFT analysis of STEM images provide direct evidence for the temperature-dependent compositional and structural changes and highlight the close thermal relationship among these phases. These results not only advance fundamental understanding of phase stability and thermal behavior in bismuth-tellurides at the nanoscale but also establish a framework for understanding structural evolution in related homologous series, providing insights into their potential future applications in thermoelectric, spintronic, and topological systems.
ER -