A novel method for preparation of SiC/SiO2 nanocables and photoluminescence performance study

Herein, a novel and catalyst-free method for preparation of SiC/SiO2 nanocables was proposed. SiC/SiO2 nanocables were successfully prepared from expanded graphite and rice husk ash via carbon thermal reduction. The results suggest that the reaction temperature and weight ratio of raw materials had influence on the morphology and yield of the product. As the weight ratio of expanded graphite to rice husk ash increased, the content of nanowires was gradually enhanced, while the yield of SiC first increased, and then, decreased. The products with good morphology and yield were obtained at the optimum temperature of 1400 degrees C and weight ratio of 1:1. The nanocable growth followed the vapor-liquid-solid (V-L-S) model and a nanocable growth mechanism using the thermodynamics of chemical reaction have been proposed. Also, compared with bulk SiC, the photoluminescence spectra of the as-prepared nanocables showed obvious blue shift, which indicates a promising application prospect in the field of optical devices. This study provides a new route for the industrial production of SiC/SiO2 nanocables which can widen their practical applications.

Automated summary

A novel and catalyst-free method for preparing SiC/SiO2 nanocables was proposed, and the effects of reaction temperature and weight ratio of raw materials were investigated. The results showed that the optimum conditions for obtaining nanocables with good morphology and yield were 1400 degrees C and a weight ratio of 1:1.