Large-scale synthesis of SiC nanowires from polysiloxane and wood powder composites

Abstract

Large-scale SiC nanowires were prepared by directly annealing polysiloxane and wood powder composites without catalyst assistant at 1420 C under argon atmosphere. SiC nanowires are up to tens of micrometers in length and the diameters are in the range of 30-150 nm. Most nanowires are smooth and straight in morphology. High-resolution TEM image shows that SiC nanowires grow along the [111] direction. The vapor-solid mechanism was proposed to explain the growth procedure of SiC nanowires. The present work provides an efficient and simple strategy for large-scale production of SiC nanowires. Large-scale SiC nanowires were prepared by directly annealing polysiloxane and wood powder composites without catalyst assistant at 1420 C under argon atmosphere. SiC nanowires are up to tens of micrometers in length and the diameters are in the range of 30-150 nm. Most nanowires are smooth and straight in morphology. High-resolution TEM image shows that SiC nanowires grow along the [111] direction. The vapor-solid mechanism was proposed to explain the growth procedure of SiC nanowires. The present work provides an efficient and simple strategy for large-scale production of SiC nanowires. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.