In this paper, we report a biomolecule-assisted soft chemistry route for constructing complex Bi(2)S(3) nanostructures that exhibit controlled wetting behavior. The as-synthesized sample was characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission SEM (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR), Raman, x-ray photoelectron (XPS) and photoluminescence (PL). The Raman spectra indicate that the surface optical (SO) phonon mode occurs in Bi(2)S(3) nanoparticles. The SO phonon mode is attributed to the defects on the surface of Bi(2)S(3) nanoparticles. In addition, the possible formation mechanism of the self-assembled urchin-like Bi(2)S(3) complex nanostructures is discussed. The established complex nanostructure can control the surface topology of a membrane to create a superhydrophobic surface. A water contact angle (CA) of > 150 degrees of the as-synthesized Bi(2)S(3) complex nanostructures can be obtained, which may find potential application in environmental chemistry.

Single-crystalline Ag 2 Se complex nanostructures have been synthesized via a solvothermal route in which selenophene (C 4 H 4 Se) as a selenylation source reacts with AgNO 3 at a temperature of 240 °C . An orthorhombic phase β-Ag 2 Se nanostructure was identified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The wettability of the as-synthesized β-Ag 2 Se nanostructure was studied by measurement of the water contact angle (CA). Static water CA values of over 150° were obtained, which can be attributed to the β-Ag 2 Se complex nanostructure having a combination of micro-and nanostructures. The superhydrophobic Ag 2 Se nanostructure may find applications in self-cleaning. Additionally, the photocatalytic activity of the as-synthesized β-Ag 2 Se nanostructure was evaluated by photodegradation of rhodamine B (RhB) dye under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation.

This paper reports the synthesis of semiconductor ZnSe microspheres composed of nanoparticles via a solvothermal route between the organic molecule selenophene (C(4)H(4) Se) and ZnCl(2) without adding any surfactant. The ZnSe microspheres were characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), specific surface area measurement, and photoluminescence (PL) spectra. A strong and broad blue PL emission at 443 nm in wavelength (∼2.79 eV in photon energy) is attributed to the near-band-edge (NBE) emission of ZnSe, while the 530 nm peak is a defect-related (DL) emission. The photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared ZnSe microspheres was evaluated by photodegradation of methyl orange (MO) dye under ultraviolet (UV) light and visible light irradiation. The degradations of MO reach 94% or 95.1%, close to 100%, in the presence of the as-synthesized ZnSe microspheres or commercial ZnSe powder after 7 or 10 h under UV irradiation, respectively. Meanwhile the degradations of MO reach 94.3% or 60.6% in the presence of the as-synthesized ZnSe microspheres or commercial ZnSe powder after 12 h, respectively. The degradation rate of ZnSe microspheres is twice that of ZnSe commercial powder under UV light irradiation, and three times under visible light irradiation. The degradation process of MO dye on ZnSe microspheres under UV or visible light is also discussed.