Ultra-Long Crystalline Red Phosphorus Nanowires from Amorphous Red Phosphorus Thin Films

Heating red phosphorus in sealed ampoules in the presence of a Sn/SnI4 catalyst mixture has provided bulk black phosphorus at much lower pressures than those required for allotropic conversion by anvil cells. Herein we report the growth of ultra-long 1D red phosphorus nanowires (>1 mm) selectively onto a wafer substrate from red phosphorus powder and a thin film of red phosphorus in the present of a Sn/SnI4 catalyst. Raman spectra and X-ray diffraction characterization suggested the formation of crystalline red phosphorus nanowires. FET devices constructed with the red phosphorus nanowires displayed a typical I-V curve similar to that of black phosphorus and a similar mobility reaching 300 cm(2)V(-1)s with an I-on/I-off ratio approaching 10(2). A significant response to infrared light was observed from the FET device.