Photoluminescence, electrical and mechanical properties of ultra-long single crystalline Al4O4C nanowires

Ultra-long single-crystalline orthorhombic Al4O4C nanowires (NWs) were synthesized via annealing a mixture of Ta, Al, and graphite powders at 1500 degrees C for 1 h in a flowing argon atmosphere based on the vapor-liquid-solid (VSL) mechanism. The molten Al-Ta droplets formed by adding Ta resulted in its growth along the [101] direction. Therefore, highly crystalline Al4O4C NWs possessed rough surfaces, a high aspect ratio (similar to 2200) with di- ameters ranging from 100 nm to 500 nm and lengths up to hundreds of micrometers (660 mm). They exhibited a decreased bandgap of 2.63 eV and broad emission bands in yellow/near-infrared light region under the excitation of 532 nm, which was originated by Ar doping and surficial defects. Furthermore, the single nanowire electrode devices were fabricated using the FIB-SEM technique to accurately measure the electrical and me- chanical properties. Al4O4C NWs possessed the intrinsic resistivity of 202.61 U$m, Young's modulus of 93.89 +/- 13.34 GPa, and yield strength of 4.08 +/- 0.51 GPa, and therefore it is potential for nanodevice applications.(c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.his is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Automated summary

Ultra-long single-crystalline orthorhombic Al4O4C nanowires (NWs) were synthesized by annealing a mixture of Ta, Al, and graphite powders at 1500 degrees C for 1 h in a flowing argon atmosphere. The NWs exhibited rough surfaces, high aspect ratio, and lengths up to hundreds of micrometers. They showed decreased bandgap and broad emission bands, and their electrical and mechanical properties were measured using single nanowire electrode devices. The Al4O4C NWs possessed intrinsic resistivity, Young's modulus, and yield strength, making them suitable for nanodevice applications.