Synthesis and characterization of copper telluride nanowires via template-assisted dc electrodeposition route

Using polycarbonate track-etch membranes (Whatman), copper telluride (Cu_1.75Te) nanowires of diameter 100 nm and 50 nm have been synthesized electrochemically via template-assisted electrodeposition technique on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass from aqueous acidic solution of copper (II) sulphate (CuSO₄·5H₂O) and tellurium oxide (TeO₂) at room temperature (30 °C). Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) reveals the morphology of the nanowires having uniform diameter equal to the diameter of the template used. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern showed the structure corresponding to the hexagonal structure of copper telluride and single-crystalline. Using UV–visible spectrometry, the optical band gap of copper telluride nanowires was found to be 3.092 eV for 100 nm and 3.230 eV for 50 nm diameters. The photoluminescence (PL) studies shows higher intensity and broad spectrum in the blue region (450–475 nm) of visible light spectrum.     

Synthesis of GaN nanowires through Ga2O3 films' reaction with ammonia

GaN nanowires were synthesized by ammoniating Ga₂O₃ films on Ti layers deposited on Si (111) substrates at 950 °C. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The XRD, FTIR and HRTEM studies showed that these nanowires were hexagonal GaN single crystals. SEM observation demonstrated that these GaN nanorods with diameters ranging from 50 nm to 100 nm and lengths up to several micrometers intervene with each other on the substrate.     

A comparative study on the NO2 gas sensing properties of ZnO thin films, nanowires and nanorods

ZnO thin films were fabricated using the spin coating method, ZnO nanowires by cathodically induced sol-gel deposition by the means of an anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template, and ZnO nanorods with the hydrothermal technique. For thin film preparation, a clear, homogeneous and stable ZnO solution was prepared by the sol-gel method using zinc acetate (ZnAc) precursor which was then coated on a glass substrate with a spin coater. Vertically aligned ZnO nanowires which were approximately 65 nm in diameter and 10 μm in length were grown in an AAO template by applying a cathodic voltage in aqueous zinc nitrate solution at room temperature. For fabrication of the ZnO nanorods, the sol-gel ZnO solution was coated on glass substrate by spin coating as a seed layer. Then ZnO nanorods were grown in zinc nitrate and hexamthylenetetramine aqueous solution. The ZnO nanorods are approximately 30 nm in diameter and 500 nm in length. The ZnO thin film, ZnO nanowires and nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The NO₂ gas sensing properties of ZnO thin films, nanowires and nanorods were investigated in a dark chamber at 200 °C in the concentration range of 100 ppb-10 ppm. It was found that the response times of both ZnO thin films and ZnO nanorods were approximately 30 s, and the sensor response was depended on shape and size of ZnO nanostructures and electrode configurations.     

A simple route to the synthesis of single crystalline copper metagermanate nanowires

Single crystalline copper metagermanate (CuGeO₃) nanowires with the diameter of 30–300 nm and length of longer than 100 µm have been prepared by a simple hydrothermal deposition route. X-ray diffraction (XRD), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman analyses confirm that the nanowires are orthorhombic single crystals with a main growth direction along <101>. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) measurement shows a strong blue emission peak at 442 nm with a broad emission band. The blue emission may be ascribed to radiative recombination of oxygen vacancies and oxygen–germanium vacancies. The formation process of CuGeO₃ nanowires is also discussed.     

Facile synthesis,characterization and low-temperature catalytic performance of Au/CeO2 nanorods

Au/CeO₂ nanorods of ~ 15 nm in diameter and 100–400 nm in length have been synthesized through an efficient and simple method, and subsequently the novel low-temperature catalytic performance of Au/CeO₂ nanorods for CO oxidation is found. The composites are characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction as well as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. It is found that the Au nanoparticles with an average diameter of 8 nm are distributed uniformly on the surface of CeO₂ nanorods. The possible formation mechanism of Au/CeO₂ nanorods has been discussed. The T₅₀ depicting the catalytic activity for CO oxidation can reach 62.1 °C, which is much lower than that of CeO₂ nanorods or Au/CeO₂ powders. In addition, Au/CeO₂ nanorods exhibit excellent stability as catalysts for CO oxidation.     

Synthesis of barium strontium titanate nanorods in reverse microemulsion

Perovskite Ba_0.7Sr_0.3TiO₃ nanorods were synthesized in Triton X-100 reverse microemulsion at room temperature and characterized by XRD, ICP-AES, ED and TEM. The Ba_0.7Sr_0.3TiO₃ nanorods with a diameter of 60-100 nm and a length of 450-1200 nm showed a single-crystalline tetragonal structure. The size of nanorods was effectively tuned by changing w value (molar ratio of water to surfactant), aging time and reactant concentration.     

Microwave-assisted synthesis of praseodymium hydroxide nanorods and thermal conversion to oxide nanorod

Pr(OH)₃ nanorods with uniform diameter of 12 nm and different lengths ranging from 50 to 220 nm were successfully prepared via a facile and rapid microwave-assisted hydrothermal method. Pr₆O₁₁ nanorods were also obtained from calcination of the as-prepared hydroxide nanorods as precursors at 500 °C for 6 h. The results showed that the Pr(OH)₃ with hexagonal phase and Pr₆O₁₁ nanorods with cubic phase have high crystallinity and purity. The mechanism for the microwave-assisted hydrothermal synthesis of Pr(OH)₃ nanorods was preliminarily presented.     

Synthesis and characterization of C3N4 nanowires and pseudocubic C3N4 polycrystalline nanoparticles

C₃N₄ nanowires and pseudocubic C₃N₄ polycrystalline nanoparticles have been synthesized by the reaction between C₃N₃Cl₃ and NaN₃ with Zn powder as catalyst. The process was carried out using a constant-pressure benzene thermal method at 40 MPa and 220 °C. The prepared nanowires have a diameter range of 3-6 nm and length range of 100-200 nm, while the diameters of the nanoparticles range from 10 nm to 40 nm. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS).     

Effect of ammoniating temperature on microstructure of one-dimensional GaN nanorods with Tb intermediate layer

GaN nanorods have been successfully synthesized on Si (111) substrates by magnetron sputtering through ammoniating Ga₂O₃/Tb thin films. The influence of ammonating temperatures on microstructure, morphology and light emitting properties of GaN nanorods was ananlyzed in detail using X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, FT-IR spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscopy, high- resolution transmission electron microscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The results demonstrate that the GaN nanorods are single crystalline and exhibit hexagonal wurtzite symmetry. The highest crystalline quality was achieved at 950 °C for 15 min with the size of 100–150 nm in diameter, which have an excellent light emitting properties. A small red-shift occurs due to band-gap change caused by the tensile stress.     

The effect of seed layer thickness on alignment and morphology of ZnO nanorods

Thin films of ZnO of 20, 40,160 and 320 nm thickness were deposited on Si (100) substrates by rf-magnetron sputtering and then nanorods were grown on the seed layer at 95 °C for 2 h. The ZnO nanorods were synthesized in C₆H₁₂N₄ and Zn (NO₃)₂·6H₂O solution by a hydrothermal method and the effect of seed layer thickness on the alignment, diameter, density and growth rate of nanorods was studied.The results revealed that the alignment of nanorods depended on crystallinity, grain size and roughness frequency of the sputtered seed layer, so that, with increase of seed layer thickness, crystallinity improved. In addition the grain size increased and the roughness frequency decreased and hence alignment and diameter of nanorods increased.Finally, we present a model for the effect of seed layer thickness on the alignment and diameter of the nanorods.     

Selected-control synthesis of Te nanowires and Te/C nanocables by adjusting hydrothermal temperature

Single-crystalline Te nanowires with an average diameter of 70 nm and Te/C nanocables with a smooth core about 50-100 nm in diameter and a surrounding sheath about 60 nm in thickness were obtained through the reduction of Na₂TeO₃ with glucose in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) under hydrothermal conditions at 130 °C and 170 °C. The products were characterized in detail by multiform techniques: X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. In the process, the temperature was found to play important roles in determining the produced Te nanowires and Te/C nanocables.     

Solvothermal synthesis of nanorods of ZnO, N-doped ZnO and CdO

ZnO nanorods with diameters in the 80-800 nm range are readily synthesized by the reaction of zinc acetate, ethanol and ethylenediamine under solvothermal conditions. The best products are obtained at 330 °C with a slow heating rate. Addition of the surfactant Triton^®-X 100 gave nanorods of uniform (300 nm) diameter. By adding a small amount of liquid NH₃ to the reaction mixture, N-doped ZnO nanorods, with distinct spectroscopic features are obtained. CdO nanorods of 80 nm diameter have been prepared under solvothermal conditions using a mixture of cadmium cupferronate, ethylenediamine and ethanol at 330 °C. Similarly, Zn_1−xCd_xO nanorods of a 70 nm diameter are obtained under solvothermal conditions starting with a mixture of zinc acetate, cadmium cupferronate, ethanol and ethylenediamine.     

The effect of seed layer thickness on alignment and morphology of ZnO nanorods

Thin films of ZnO of 20, 40,160 and 320 nm thickness were deposited on Si (100) substrates by rf-magnetron sputtering and then nanorods were grown on the seed layer at 95 °C for 2 h. The ZnO nanorods were synthesized in C₆H₁₂N₄ and Zn (NO₃)₂·6H₂O solution by a hydrothermal method and the effect of seed layer thickness on the alignment, diameter, density and growth rate of nanorods was studied.The results revealed that the alignment of nanorods depended on crystallinity, grain size and roughness frequency of the sputtered seed layer, so that, with increase of seed layer thickness, crystallinity improved. In addition the grain size increased and the roughness frequency decreased and hence alignment and diameter of nanorods increased.Finally, we present a model for the effect of seed layer thickness on the alignment and diameter of the nanorods.     

Synthesis of highly-active single-crystalline TiO2 nanorods and its application in environmental photocatalysis

Highly-active anatase TiO₂ nanorods have been successfully synthesized via a simple two-step method, hydrothermal treatment of anatase/rutile titanium dioxide nanoparticle powder in a composite-hydroxide eutectic system of 1:1 M KOH/NaOH, followed by acid post-treatment. The morphology and crystalline structure of the obtained nanorods were characterized using XRD, TEM, SEM/EDX and BET surface area analyzer. The obtained TiO₂ nanorods have a good crystallinity and a size distribution (about 4-16 nm); with the dimensions of 200-300 nm length and of 30-50 nm diameter. Compared with its precursor anatase/rutile TiO₂ nanoparticles and the titanate nanotubes, the pure anatase TiO₂ nanorods have a large specific surface area with a mesoporous structure. The photocatalytic performance of the prepared nanorods was tested in the degradation of the commercial Cibacrown Red (FN-R) textile dye, under UV irradiation. Single-crystalline anatase TiO₂ nanorods are more efficient for the dye removal.     

Fabrication of needle-shaped GaN nanowires by ammoniating Ga2O3 films on MgO layers deposited on Si (111) substrates

Needle-shaped GaN nanowires have been synthesized on Si (111) substrate through ammoniating Ga₂O₃/MgO films under flowing ammonia atmosphere at the temperature of 950 °C. The as-synthesized GaN nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transformed infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, scanning electron microscope (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results demonstrate that these nanowires are hexagonal GaN and possess a smooth surface with an average diameter about 200 nm and a length ranging from 5 μm to 15 μm. In addition, the diameters of these nanowires diminish gradually. The growth mechanism of crystalline GaN nanowires is discussed briefly.     

Synthesis of GaN nanorods by ammoniating Ga2O3 films on TiO2 (rutile) layer deposited on Si(111) substrates

GaN nanorods have been synthesized by ammoniating Ga₂O₃ films on a TiO₂ middle layer deposited on Si(111) substrates. The products were characterized by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Fourier transformed infrared spectra (FTIR) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The XRD analysis indicates that the crystallization of GaN film fabricated on TiO₂ middle layer is rather excellent. The FTIR, SEM and HRTEM demonstrate that these nanorods are hexagonal GaN and possess a rough morphology with a diameter ranging from 200 nm to 500 nm and a length less than 10 μm, the growth mechanism of crystalline GaN nanorods is discussed briefly.     

Controlled synthesis and characterization of 10 nm thick Al2O3 nanowires

α-Al₂O₃ nanowires, with diameter around 10 nm, were synthesized in bulk quantity by heating the mixture of pure aluminum and graphite powders at 900 °C. Scarcity of oxygen is regarded as the reason for the growth of the small diameter α-Al₂O₃ nanowires at relatively low temperature. The product was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and photoluminescence. The Oxygen vacancies in the nanowires lead to the strong photoluminescence in the wavelength range of 400-700 nm with its peak at 527 nm.     

Ultraviolet photodetectors made from SnO2 nanowires

SnO₂ nanowires can be synthesized on alumina substrates and formed into an ultraviolet (UV) photodetector. The photoelectric current of the SnO₂ nanowires exhibited a rapid photo-response as a UV lamp was switched on and off. The ratio of UV-exposed current to dark current has been investigated. The SnO₂ nanowires were synthesized by a vapor-liquid-solid process at a temperature of 900 °C. It was found that the nanowires were around 70-100 nm in diameter and several hundred microns in length. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) image indicated that the nanowires grew along the [200] axis as a single crystallinity. Cathodoluminescence (CL), thin-film X-ray diffractometry, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were used to characterize the as-synthesized nanowires.     

Low-temperature synthesis of CuS nanorods by simple wet chemical method

CuS nanorods of length 60–100 nm and 15 nm in diameter have been synthesized by simple wet chemical method at 105 °C using CuCl₂·2H₂O as Cu-precursor, CS₂ as S-source and ethylenediamine as the attacking reagent. The plausible reaction mechanism has been proposed and the effect of reaction temperature on morphology has been discussed. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern suggests the formation of hexagonal phase CuS. The morphology of the products has been studied by transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis. A detailed optical study has also been done.     

Synthesis of gold nanorods and nanowires by a microwave–polyol method

HAuCl₄ was reduced by ethylene glycol, in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) under microwave (MW) heating in a continuous wave (CW) mode for 2 min. Dominant products were polygonal nanoplates and close-to-spherical nanoparticles of gold. In addition, small amounts of single crystalline gold nanorods and nanowires (0.5–3% of total number of products) with diameters of 20–100 nm and lengths of 0.6–5 μm were produced. The diameter and length of gold nanorods and nanowires could be controlled by changing the HAuCl₄·4H₂O/PVP ratio. The formation mechanism of anisotropic gold nanostructures was discussed.