Room temperature synthesis of silver nanowires from tabular silver bromide crystals in the presence of gelatin

Long silver nanowires were synthesized at room temperature by a simple and fast process derived from the development of photographic films. A film consisting of an emulsion of tabular silver bromide grains in gelatin was treated with a photographic developer (4-(methylamino)phenol sulfate (metol), citric acid) in the presence of additional aqueous silver nitrate. The silver nanowires have lengths of more than 50 μm, some even more than 100 μm, and average diameters of about 80 nm. Approximately, 70% of the metallic silver formed in the reduction consists of silver nanowires. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) results indicate that the silver nanowires grow along the [111] direction. It was found that the presence of gelatin, tabular silver bromide crystals and silver ions in solution are essential for the formation of the silver nanowires. The nanowires appear to originate from the edges of the silver bromide crystals. They were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), SAED, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and powder X-ray diffraction (XRD).     

Synthesis and Characterization of SnO2 One-dimensional Nanostructures

Single-crystalline SnO2 nanowires have been successfully prepared in large scale on Au-coated silicon substrate by heating the mixture of self-made high-purity SnO2 powders and graphite powders at 900℃. Besides the line type nanowires some more features were observed. The products were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and Raman spectrum techniques. The results indicate that the tin dioxide nanowires have a rutile structure with diameters ranging from 30 to 120 nm and lengths up to several tens of micrometers. The possible mechanism of the growth and reaction for the nanowires was also discussed.     

Solvothermal synthesis and characterization of uniform CdS nanowires in high yield

Large-scale CdS nanowires with uniform diameter and high aspect ratios were synthesized using a simple solvothermal route that employed CdCl₂ and S powder as starting materials, ethylenediamine (en) as the solvent. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show that the products are hexagonal structure CdS nanowires with diameter of 40 nm and length up to 10 μm. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM) studies indicate the single-crystalline nature of CdS nanowires with an oriented growth along the c-axis direction. The optical properties of the products were characterized by optical absorption spectra and photoluminescence spectra. Based on the results of contrastive experiments, it is found that the sulfur source and the solvent play significant roles in the formation of uniform nanowires. A possible formation mechanism of nanowires is discussed.     

Controlled synthesis of Ag/TiO2 core-shell nanowires with smooth and bristled surfaces via a one-step solution route

Ag/TiO2 core-shell nanowires were synthesized via a one-step solution method without using a template. Interestingly, the shell morphologies can be controlled to be smooth or bristled by altering the reaction temperature. Moreover, the TiO2 shell thickness and bristle length can be tuned by changing the AgNO3 concentration. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED), energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the resultant Ag/TiO2 core-shell nanowires. Moreover, the absorption peaks of our samples are significantly red-shifted compared with those of the uncoated pure silver nanowires, indicating that interaction between the core and shell occurred. On the basis of the experimental results, we proposed a template-induced Oswald ripening mechanism to explain the formation of the Ag/TiO2 core-shell nanowires.     

A simple method of fabricating large-area α-MnO2 nanowires and nanorods

α-MnO₂ nanowires or nanorods have been selectively synthesized via the hydrothermal method in nitric acid condition. The α-MnO₂ nanowires hold with average diameter of 50 nm and lengths ranging between 10 and 40 μm, using MnSO₄·H₂O as manganese source; meanwhile, α-MnO₂ bifurcate nanorods with average diameter of 100 nm were obtained by adopting MnCO₃ as starting material. The morphology of α-MnO₂ bifurcate nanorods is the first one to be reported in this paper. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) were used to characterize the products. Experimental results indicate that the concentrated nitric acid plays a crucial role in the phase purity and morphologies of the products. The possible formation mechanism of α-MnO₂ nanowires and nanorods has been discussed.     

Synthesis of copper-core/carbon-sheath nanocables by a surfactant-assisted hydrothermal reduction/carbonization process

A simple hydrothermal method has been developed for the one-step synthesis of copper-core/carbon-sheath nanocables in solution. The obtained nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), Raman, and UV-vis spectrum analysis. These copper@carbon nanocables formed through the hydrothermal reduction/carbonization in the presence of surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) acting as the structure-directing agent by hydrothermal treatment. HRTEM and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) indicate that the resulted Cu nanowires had the preferred [110] growth direction. The influence of the reaction temperature, reaction time, and pH on the final products was investigated in detail. The possible formation mechanism for copper-core/carbon-sheath nanocables was also proposed. Amorphous carbon nanotubes can be obtained by etching the copper core in the nanocables.     

Template-directed synthesis of ordered iron pyrite (FeS2) nanowires and nanotubes arrays

Highly ordered iron pyrite (FeS₂) nanowires and nanotubes arrays have been fabricated by using sol–gel method with AAO templates. The prepared nanowires and nanotubes have uniform lengths and 200 nm diameters. Their crystal phase was identified as cubic FeS₂ by using X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and selected-area electron diffraction pattern. The direct optical band gaps of the as-prepared FeS₂ nanowires were 0.98 and 1.23 eV, respectively, indicating their suitability for photovoltaic application.     

Ultralong cadmium hydroxide nanowires: synthesis, characterization, and transformation into CdO nanostrands

Ultralong Cd(OH)2 nanowires were fabricated by a hydrothermal method from Cd(CH3COO)2 x H2O (0.01 mol/L) and C6H12N4 (0.015 mol/L) aqueous solution at 95 degrees C for 16 h without using any templates and were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The length of the nanowires reached several micrometers, giving an aspect ratio of a few thousands. The formation mechanism of the nanowires is attributed to the oriented attachment of small particles. The growth method for the 1D nanostructure presented here offers an excellent tool for the design of other advanced materials with anisotropic properties. The Cd(OH)2 nanowires efficiently captured negatively charged dye, and the adsorbed dye molecules can be released after the addition of EDTA. The Cd(OH)2 nanowires as template compounds were further transformed into CdO semiconductor nanomaterials with similar morphology by calcination under 350 degrees C in air for 3 h.     

Preparation and characterization of gadolinium hydroxide single-crystalline nanorods by a hydrothermal process

The Gd(OH)3 nanorods with diameters of ca.40-60 nm and lengths of more than 400-550 nm have been prepared by a novelhydrothermal technique.The structural features and chemical composition of the nanorods were investigated by X-ray diffraction(XRD),transmission electron microscopy(TEM),and field emission scanning electron microscope(FESEM),selected areaelectron diffraction(SAED),and high resolution transmission electron microscopy(HRTEM).The possible mechanism for theformation of Gd(OH)3 nanorods was proposed.     

Self-catalyst growth of single-crystalline CaB6 nanostructures

Large-scale calcium hexaboride (CaB₆) nanostructures have been successfully fabricated with self-catalyst method using calcium (Ca) powders and boron trichloride (BCl₃) gas mixed with hydrogen and argon. X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) were used to characterize the compositions, morphologies, and structures of the samples. Our results show that the nanowires are highly single crystals elongated preferentially in the [1 1 0] direction. The growth mechanism based on the self-catalyst process is simply discussed.     

Boron nanowires synthesized by laser ablation at high temperature

Boron nanowires have been synthesized by laser ablation at high temperature. The as-synthesized boron nanowires were characterized by means of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). The boron nanowires have lengths of several tens of micrometers long and diameters of 30–60 nm. The effects of the synthesis conditions on the formation of the boron nanowires were investigated and possible growth mechanisms of the boron nanowires are discussed.     

简单的溶剂热法制备分层的碲化铋微米结构

采用简单的溶剂热法制备出高纯度的由纳米片自组装而形成的碲化铋微米结构。在碲化铋的形成中,乙二醇不仅作为溶剂,而且还作为还原剂。研究发现,聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)和硝酸在碲化铋的形成中起到了很重要的作用。通过X-射线衍射(XRD)、X-射线光电子能谱(XPS)、扫描电镜(SEM)、透射电镜(TEM)、高分辨透射电镜(HRTEM)、选区电子衍射(SAED)对其进行表征及研究。最后,利用时间演化实验对碲化铋的形成机理进行了探讨。     

A simple wet chemical route for large-scale synthesis of Cu(OH)2 nanowires

Polycrystalline Cu(OH)₂ nanowires with an average diameter of ca. 8 nm and lengths of up to hundreds of micrometers were synthesized by using a simple chemical route at ambient temperature. The crystallity, purity, morphology, and structure features of the as-prepared Cu(OH)₂ nanowires were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The growth mechanism of the Cu(OH)₂ nanowires were studied in detail.     

Phase transformation and crystalline growth of 4 mol% yttria partially stabilized zirconia

The phase transformation and crystalline growth of 4 mol% yttria partially stabilized zirconia (4Y-PSZ) precursor powders have been investigated using the coprecipitation route, using zirconium oxide chloride octahydrate (ZrOCl₂·8H₂O) and yttrium nitrate (Y(NO₃)₃·6H₂O) as the initial materials. Differential thermal analysis (DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), nano beam electron diffraction (NBED), and high resolution TEM (HRTEM) were utilized to characterize the behavior of phase transformation and crystalline growth of the 4Y-PSZ precursor powders after calcined. Tetragonal ZrO₂ crystallization occurred at about 718.2 K. The activation energy of tetragonal ZrO₂ crystallization was 227.0 ± 17.4 kJ/mol, obtained by a non-isothermal method. The growth morphology parameter (n) and growth mechanism index were close to 2.0, showing that tetragonal ZrO₂ had a plate-like morphology. The crystalline size of tetragonal ZrO₂ increased from 7.9 to 27.6 nm when the calcination temperature was increased from 973 to 1,273 K. The activation energies of tetragonal ZrO₂ growth were 14.97 ± 0.33 and 84.46 ± 6.65 kJ/mol when precursor powders after calcined from 723–973 and 973–1,273 K, respectively.     

In situ growth of LiFePO4 nanorod arrays under hydrothermal condition

A novel in situ combinatorial method has been developed to fabricate LiFePO₄ nanorod arrays, during which anodized alumina oxide (AAO) was employed as the template and ethylene glycol/water medium is used to ensure mass transportation rates of different chemicals to match each other. The samples were then characterized by X-ray diffractometer (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX). After being hydrothermally processed at 160 °C, the highly-crystallized LiFePO₄ arrays were directly obtained, which are composed of single crystal nanorods with a diameter of 200 nm and a length of 3 μm. The reported synthesis is simple, mild and energy-efficient. A noteworthy advantage over conventional sol–gel–template methods is the elimination of high-temperature annealing.     

Characterization of h-WO3 nanorods synthesized by hydrothermal process

Hexagonal tungsten oxide nanorods have been synthesized by hydrothermal strategy using Na₂WO₄·2H₂O as tungsten source, aniline and sulfate sodium as structure-directing templates. Techniques X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Raman spectroscopy have been used to characterize the structure, morphology and composition of the nanorods. The h-WO₃ nanorods are up to 5 μm in length, and 50–70 nm in diameter.     

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.     

重离子径迹模板法合成银纳米线

聚碳酸脂(PC)膜被高能重离子辐照后沿入射离子路径产生潜径迹, 把带有潜径迹的膜经紫外光敏化后置于NaOH 溶液中进行蚀刻, 通过选择蚀刻条件, 在PC 膜内得到直径从100 到500 nm 导通的核径迹孔. 以带有核径迹孔的PC 膜为模板, 用电化学沉积法制备出不同直径的银纳米线. 在特定的实验条件下(沉积电压25mV、电流密度1-2 mA·cm-2、温度50 益和电解液为0.1 mol·L-1的AgNO3溶液), 获得了沿[111]方向择优取向生长的具有单晶结构的银纳米线. 利用扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、X射线衍射(XRD)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)及选区电子衍射(SAED)等手段对银纳米线的形貌和晶体结构特征进行了表征.     

Catalytic synthesis of bamboo-like multiwall BN nanotubes via SHS-annealing process

Bamboo-like multiwall boron nitride (BN) nanotubes were synthesized via annealing porous precursor prepared by self-propagation high temperature synthesis (SHS) method. The as-synthesized BN nanotubes were characterized by the field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. These nanotubes have uniform diameters of about 60 nm and an average length of about 10 μm. Four growth models, including tip, base, based tip and base-tip growth models, are proposed based on the catalytic vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanism for explaining the formation of the as-synthesized bamboo-like BN nanotubes. Chemical reactions and annealing mechanism are also discussed.     

High yield preparation of single crystalline Cd metal nanotubes by non-catalytic thermal decomposition route

Large scale metallic cadmium (Cd) nanotubes with high purity have been obtained on glass substrate by catalyst-free thermal decomposition of cadmium oxide (CdO) powder at 1200 °C for 120 min using argon (Ar) gas as carrier agent inside an alumina tube mounted in horizontal tube furnace. The structural, compositional and morphological characterizations of cadmium nanotubes (CdNTs) were performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The CdNTs were observed to be single crystalline with 60–70 nm diameter and tens of micrometre length. Based on vapour–solid (VS) and rolling layer mechanisms, growth process has been proposed for the formation of CdNTs. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum for CdNTs recorded under xenon light wavelength of 325 nm exhibited a very prominent emission band at 383 nm which may be ascribed to either surface oxidation effects or radiative recombination of electrons in the s, p conduction band near the Fermi surface and the holes in the d bands generated by xenon light excitation. This shows the promise of CdNTs for applications in UV-light emitting devices.