Vapor Phase Synthesis of Tungsten Nanowires

A concept is presented for synthesizing metal nanowires directly from the vapor phase using chemical vapor transport to temperatures higher than the corresponding metal oxide decomposition temperature. Specifically, this concept is demonstrated with the synthesis of tungsten metal nanowires with sizes ranging from 70 to 40 nm by increasing the condensation temperature. The simultaneous condensation and decomposition of the tungsten oxide species during nucleation and growth is suggested for 1-D growth of metallic tungsten nanowires. This synthesis concept could potentially be extended to the vapor phase synthesis of metal nanowires of several other nonvolatile and refractory metals. The tungsten nanowires could find potential applications in gas sensors and as electron sources in electron microscopes.