Micro- and nanocubes of silicon with zinc-blende structure

Micro- and nanocubes of single-crystalline silicon with the zinc-blende structure have been synthesized by pulsed-laser-induced liquid-solid interface reaction. Raman scattering, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electronic microscopy equipped with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer, selected area electron diffraction, and electron energy-loss spectroscopy are employed to characterize the morphology and structure of the as-synthesized samples. The first-principles calculations are employed to theoretically analyze the data of experiments. The synthesis mechanisms of silicon cubes upon PLIIR are pursued in physical and chemical mechanisms.