Fabrication, structural characteristics, and influence of Bi3+ doping concentration on UV-vis spectra of Bi3+:SnO2 nanocomposite materials

The authors report the characteristics and optical properties of Bi3+-doped SnO2 quantum dots prepared bysol-gel and hydrothermal methods. The structure and morphology of the materials as a function of dopingconcentration were studied and analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope(SEM). The structure of the material was assigned to the tetragonal crystal structures of the SnO2 rutile phase,reported in JCPDS Card No. 41-1445. With the increase of Bi3+ doping, the crystallinity of Bi-doped SnO2worsened. The average sizes of the SnO2 nanocrystals were within 3-8 nm. The effect of Bi3+ ion concentrationon the absorbance properties of the materials was investigated by UV-Vis absorption spectra. The absorbancedecreased with increasing the concentration of Bi3+ dopant in the SnO2 lattice. The bandgap width decreasedwith Bi3+ dopant concentration. All Bi3+-doped SnO2 samples presented an enlargement of the light absorptionrange due to a bandgap width decrease.