Size-controlled one-dimensional monocrystalline BaTiO3 nanostructures

One-dimensional BaTiO3 nanostructures have been synthesized by a simple hydrothermal ion-exchange reaction using alkali-metal titanates as synthetic precursors. The BaTiO3 nanowires obtained from Na2Ti3O7 nanowires have diameters of 50-80 nm and lengths of up to 10 mu m. In contrast, BaTiO3 nanowires obtained from K2Ti4O9 nanowhiskers have relatively large sizes of 300-500 nm in diameter and several tens of microns in length. Both types of nanostructures are single-crystalline without any impurity phases. The local electric polarization of individual ferroelectric nanowires has been studied using vertical mode piezoresponse force microscopy.