A simple technique to synthesize pure and highly crystalline boron nitride nanowires

Unlike various complex and extensive experimental procedures available in the literature, a simple experimental technique has been developed to synthesize boron nitride nanowires (BNNWs) on Si substrates in a short growth duration of 30 min via vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanism. The surface morphology and diameter of BNNWs were obtained by field en-fission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM). The as-grown boron nitride nanowires have a wire-like morphology with diameter in the range of similar to 20-150 nm. The Raman spectrum of the synthesized BNNWs showed a sharp and intense peak at 1380 (cm(-1)) corresponds to the E-2g mode of vibration in h-BN depicted its highly crystalline nature. This work reveals that a modified CVD technique and short growth duration is suitable to synthesis nanowires with tens of nanometers in diameter. (C) 2014 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.