Facile Synthesis and Growth Mechanism of SiO2 Nanotubes with ZnS Nanowires as Intermediates

Abstract

SiO2 nanotubes with good chemical purity and well defined morphology were synthesized successfully in a one-step gas phase condensation process using gold catalyst. The as-synthesized products were characterized by transmission electron microscopy and nanoprobe X-ray energy dispersive. In the observations, a growth mechanism of the nanotubes is suggested. The new synthetic route to prepare SiO2 nanotubes is favorable to satisfy the special needs in commercial and industrial application and can be easily applied to other semiconductor materials.