Metal organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD) method was used to prepare thin films of bismuth based nano particles starting from bismuth salts. Nano sized bismuth oxy chloride (BiOCl) crystals were synthesized from solution containing bismuth chloride (BiCl3) in acetone (CH3-CO-CH3). Self-assembly of nano sized BiOCl crystals were observed on the surface of silicon, fused silica, copper, carbon nanotubes aluminium substrates. Various synthesis parameters and their significant impact onto the formation and of self-assembled nano-crystalline BiOCl were investigated. BiOCl nano particles were characterized by dispersive X-ray spectroscopy and Micro-Raman spectroscopy. These analyses confirm that bismuth nanometer-sized crystal structures showing a single tetragonal phase were indeed bismuth oxychloride (BiOCl) square platelets 18-250 nm thick and a few micrometres wide. (C) 2014 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.