Preparation and structure of magnesium oxide coated indium nanowires

Abstract

Indium nanowires embedded in rectangular nanorods of MgO were synthesized by using the boron oxide-buffer catalytic growth method. The MgO nanorods were found to present a core of pure indium 15-20 nm in diameter. Electron diffraction analysis indicates that the embedded indium nanowires exhibit the tetragonal structure of pure indium and that the outer rectangular nanorods are face-centered cubic MgO. The orientation relationship between the indium and its MgO shell is determined to be (1̄10)MgO//(100)In and (001)MgO//(01̄1)In. © 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.