Recent progress in synthesis, growth mechanisms, properties, and applications of silicon nitride nanowires

With advances in nanotechnology, nanowires have gained worldwide attention because of their novel properties and promising applications. Among them, silicon nitride (Si3N4) nanowires have attracted increasing attention due to their excellent performance and huge application potential. In this review, various synthesis methods of Si3N4 nanowires are introduced in detail, and then the growth mechanisms are also stated. Subsequently, the novel properties of Si3N4 nanowires including mechanical, optical, electrical, thermal, and wetting performance are highlighted. Applications corresponding to performance are also summarized later, such as composites, field emitters, field-effect transistors (FETs), photodetectors, photocatalysts, and microwave absorbers. Finally, the contents of this article are concluded and outlooks of future research directions are stated. This article reviews the recent advances and provides the prospects and challenges of Si3N4 nanowires.

Automated summary

With advances in nanotechnology, silicon nitride (Si3N4) nanowires have gained increasing attention due to their excellent performance and huge application potential. Various synthesis methods and growth mechanisms of Si3N4 nanowires are introduced in detail in this review, highlighting their novel properties and applications in composites, field emitters, photodetectors, etc. The article concludes the recent advances and provides prospects and challenges of Si3N4 nanowires for future research.