Calcium silicate nanosheets have been synthesized by a hydrothermal deposition process using silicon dioxide and calcium oxide as the raw materials. X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy observations show that the width and thickness of the calcium silicate nanosheets with triclinic calcium silicate structure are about 10 μm and 100-200 nm, respectively. Hydrothermal deposition temperature and time have important roles in the formation and size of the calcium silicate nanosheets. The nanosheets exhibit strong blue light emission centered at 421 nm and 472 nm suggesting that the nanosheets have good optical properties.
Keywords: Calcium silicate nanosheets, hydrothermal deposition, electron microscopy, photoluminescence