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Synthesis and Characterization of MgO Nanowires Through a Vapor‐Phase Precursor Method
Author(s) -
Yin Y.,
Zhang G.,
Xia Y.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
advanced functional materials
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.069
H-Index - 322
eISSN - 1616-3028
pISSN - 1616-301X
DOI - 10.1002/1616-3028(20020418)12:4<293::aid-adfm293>3.0.co;2-u
Subject(s) - materials science , nanowire , characterization (materials science) , vapor phase , nanotechnology , phase (matter) , chemical engineering , organic chemistry , chemistry , physics , engineering , thermodynamics
This paper describes a vapor‐phase, precursor method that generates MgO nanowires at relatively low temperatures (800–900 °C) as compared to previous approaches (≥ 1200 °C) that directly use MgO as the source material. Magnesium diboride (MgB 2 ) powders were used as the precursor, which slowly decomposed into Mg and MgB 4 under a constant flow of argon gas at temperatures as low as 700 °C. The Mg vapor subsequently reacted with trace O 2 contained in the reaction system and formed MgO vapor. Under appropriate conditions, the MgO vapor could reach supersaturation, condense onto the surface of a solid substrate that was placed on top of the precursor powders, and grow into highly anisotropic nanostructures. Depending on the distance between the MgB 2 source and the location on the solid substrate, a gradient in the MgO concentration existed. As a result, MgO nanostructures with different morphologies were formed on the solid support, including whiskers, tapered nanowires whose diameters were continuously reduced from ∼200 to 20–30 nm over a distance of ∼50 μm, and nanowires having uniform diameters (15–20 nm) and lengths up to ∼30 μm. When a mixture of dihydrogen and argon gases was used as the reaction atmosphere, MgO nanowires with a uniform cross‐section of ∼150 nm in diameter could grow several millimeters long without branching.