Novel, low-cost solid-liquid-solid process for the synthesis of α-Si3N4 nanowires at lower temperatures and their luminescence properties

Haitao Liu; Zhaohui Huang; Juntong Huang; Minghao Fang; Yan-gai Liu; Xiaowen Wu; Xiaozhi Hu; Shaowei Zhang

doi:10.1038/srep17250

Novel, low-cost solid-liquid-solid process for the synthesis of α-Si3N4 nanowires at lower temperatures and their luminescence properties

Sci Rep. 2015 Nov 26:5:17250. doi: 10.1038/srep17250.

Authors

Haitao Liu¹, Zhaohui Huang¹, Juntong Huang², Minghao Fang¹, Yan-gai Liu¹, Xiaowen Wu^{1

3}, Xiaozhi Hu⁴, Shaowei Zhang²

Affiliations

¹ School of Materials Science and Technology, Beijing Key Laboratory of Materials Utilization of Nonmetallic Minerals and Solid Wastes, National Laboratory of Mineral Materials, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), 100083, P. R. China.
² College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QF, UK.
³ Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, Torrington Place, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
⁴ School of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, The University of Western Australia, Australia.

Abstract

Ultra-long, single crystal, α-Si3N4 nanowires sheathed with amorphous silicon oxide were synthesised by an improved, simplified solid-liquid-solid (SLS) method at 1150 °C without using flowing gases (N2, CH4, Ar, NH3, etc.). Phases, chemical composition, and structural characterisation using X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM/HRTEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) showed that the nanowires had Si3N4@SiOx core-shell structures. The growth of the nanowires was governed by the solid-liquid-solid (SLS) mechanism. The room temperature photoluminescence (PL) and cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra showed that the optical properties of the α-Si3N4 nanowires can be changed along with the excitation wavelength or the excitation light source. This work can be useful, not only for simplifying the design and synthesis of Si-related nanostructures, but also for developing new generation nanodevices with changeable photoelectronic properties.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't