Preparation of 3C-SiC nanosheets from carbothermal reduction method with blue shift photoluminescence properties

Silicon carbide (SiC) exhibits promising application potential in optoelectronic and light-emitting devices, primarily attributed to its excellent photoluminescence (PL) properties. However, the PL mechanism of SiC nanosheets has not been systematically investigated to date, thus necessitating further in-depth exploration. Herein, SiC nanosheets were successfully synthesized via the carbothermal reduction method, and their morphology, crystal structure, and PL properties were systematically characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman, ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption, Fourier‑Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and PL spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the SiC nanosheets, with a thickness of 10–60 nm, exhibit excellent PL properties, accompanied by a significant blue shift compared to bulk SiC. Further analysis indicates that their PL property is mainly governed by the quantum size effect, structural defects, and excitation wavelength. This study provides a simple and effective synthesis strategy for fabricating SiC nanosheets with high PL properties, which hold broad application potential in optoelectronic devices.