Synchrotron X-ray diffraction study on a single nanowire of PX-phase lead titanate

Synchrotron X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of Pb–Ti–O fine acicular crystals (nanowires) of the so-called PX-phase have been performed. The θ–2θ patterns of the nanowires dispersed on substrates with two different geometries indicated that the PX-phase Pb–Ti–O nanowire has [1 1 0] along its short axis and [0 0 1] along its longitudinal axis. Using a focused micro-X-ray beam, we first demonstrated the XRD analysis of a single nanowire of PX-phase Pb–Ti–O. Bragg reflections from the same single nanowire with scattering vectors at two different angles suggested its tetragonal unit cell having the rather large a-axis lattice constant.