Nanowire transformation and annealing by Joule heating

Joule heating of bundles of Mo6S3I6 nanowires, in real time, was studied using in situ TEM probing. TEM imaging, electron diffraction, and conductivity measurements showed a complete transformation of Mo6S3I6 into Mo via thermal decomposition. The resulting Mo nanowires had a conductivity that was 2-3 orders higher than the starting material. The conductivity increased even further, up to 1.8 x 10(6) S m(-1), when the Mo nanowires went through annealing phases. These results suggest that Joule heating might be a general way to transform or anneal nanowires, pointing to applications such as metal nanowire fabrication, novel memory elements based on material transformation, or in situ improvement of field emitters.