Preparation of powders of selenium nanorods and nanowires by microwave-polyol method

Powders of selenium (Se) nanorods and nanowires with hexagonal structure were successfully prepared by one-step, template-less and surfactant-firee microwave-polyol method. The formation of Se nanorods and nanowires was realized by microwave-assisted reduction of selenium dioxide (SeO2) with ethylene glycol (EG) at 195 degreesC in a relatively short period of time (30 min). This method is simple, fast and low-cost for large-scale production of one-dimensional (1D) Se nanostructures. It may also be employed to prepare other kinds of inorganic 1D nanostructures. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.