Synthesis of single-crystalline topological insulator Bi2Se3 nanomaterials with various morphologies

Abstract

We report the synthesis and characterization of layer-structure Bi2Se3 nanomaterials. Bi2Se3 nanomaterial has attracted many researchers, because it has a unique three-dimensional topological insulator property characterized by a metallic surface which coexists with an insulating interior. This can be achieved by having large surface-to-volume ratio in the nanomaterial. We synthesized highly single-crystalline topological insulator Bi2Se3 nanomaterials with various morphologies, including straight nanowires, zig-zag nanowires, and nanobelts, by adjusting experimental parameters such as the growth temperature, pressure, and carrier gas flow rate. The results show that the width and length of Bi2Se3 nanowires increase significantly with increasing values of each parameter. Furthermore, we studied the growth mechanism of individual morphologies based on the layered structure of Bi2Se3.