Synthesis of hexagonal prism-shaped SiC nanowires from a mixture of bamboo flour and silica xerogel

Large-scale SiC nanowires with hexagonal prism-shaped have been successfully synthesized by the carbothermal reduction without catalyst assistant. In the process, a mixture of bamboo flour and silica xerogel was chosen as raw materials. The phase composition, morphology and microstructure were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results showed that the nanowires were grown as single crystalline 3C-SiC along the [111] direction and have diameters of 100-200 nm with lengths up to several tens of micrometers. The growth of SiC nanowires is governed by vapor-solid(VS) mechanism.