Preparation, Characterization, and Electrophysical Properties of Nanostructured BiPO4 and Bi2Se3 Derived from a Structurally Characterized, Single-Source Precursor Bi[Se2P(OiPr)2]3

A Tris-chelated diselenophosphato complex of bismuth, Bi[Se2P(OiPr)2]3, was successfully prepared and used to obtain two separate, uniform deposits of nanostructured metal phosphate, BiPO4, and metal chalcogenide, Bi2Se3, in a one-step metal−organic chemical vapor deposition process. This work expands the applications of single-source precursors in a new dimension by producing two separate, uniform products from decomposition of a single-source precursor in one step. The inclusion of oxygen and phosphorus elements in the precursor molecule makes possible the simultaneous production of BiPO4 nanowires and Bi2Se3 nanoplates from the single-source precursor. The resulting BiPO4 nanowires and Bi2Se3 nanoplates show promising field emission properties, comparable to the more popular oxide semiconductor nanowires. The Bi2Se3 nanoplates also exhibit a superior thermoelectric property over bulk Bi2Se3.