Controlled synthesis of single-crystalline Mg(OH)2 nanotubes and nanorods via a solvothermal process

The synthesis of Mg(OH)₂ one-dimensional (1D) nanostructures was systematically investigated in different solvents at various temperatures with Mg₁₀OH₁₈Cl₂·5H₂O nanowires as source materials. The results showed that the characters of the products, such as crystal size, shape, and structure, were strongly influenced by the solvent and temperature during the solvothermal process. 1D nanotubes of Mg(OH)₂, with 80-300 nm outer diameter, 30-80 nm wall thickness, and several tens of micrometers in length were obtained by choosing bidentate ligand solvents such as ethylenediamine and 1,6-diaminohexane as the reaction solvent. But when using monodentate ligand pyridine as the reaction solvent, the obtained samples showed nanorods morphology. The Mg(OH)₂ thus produced was analyzed by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED). The possible growth mechanism of the 1D nanostructure Mg(OH)₂ was discussed.