Silicon carbide Nanowires
Carbon nanotubes were mixed with nanosize silicon powder and then heated under argon atmosphere in a furnace for several hours. Specimens were later oxidized to remove excess of carbon nanotubes and then treated with KOH to remove silicon. After the treatment,only peaks due to SiC were detected.
TEM of SiC Nanowires
SiC nanowires were obtained at normal pressure by sintering carbon nanotubes and Si at high temperatures.
When Si was in the liquid phase we produced silicon carbide coated carbon nanotubes. The core composed of carbon nanotubes survived heating in oxygen at 1000 C. When Si was in the solid phase we produced pure SiC nanowires of diameter about 20 nm.
Peaks at 792 and 966 cm-1 are due to SiC, and those at 1350 and 1550 cm-1 are due to carbon nanotubes.