Self-assembly of cadmium metasilicate nanowires as a broadband optical limiter

• CdSiO3 NWs were successfully constructed by self-assembly CdSiO3 nanoparticles.
• Pure monoclinic phase of CdSiO3 can be got by a hydrothermal route without calcinations.
• SiO4 tetrahedra were the main constituents of the CdSiO3 NWs.
• CdSiO3 NWs displayed a broadband OL performance originating from nonlinear scattering.
• The NLO performance in CdSiO3 NWs gel glass has been improved in comparison to those in liquid.

Cadmium metasilicate nanowires (CdSiO3 NWs) have been synthesized through a facile, eco-friendly, low-cost water–ethanol mixed-solution hydrothermal route. The transmission electron microscopy measurements of as-prepared samples indicate that the CdSiO3 NWs with diameters in the range of 10–60 nm and lengths of more than 1 μm were constructed by self-assembly of 5–10-nm CdSiO3 nanoparticles with good crystallinity. The monoclinic phase formation of the sample is studied in detail by X-ray diffraction, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and thermo gravimetric analysis. The results indicate that a pure monoclinic phase of CdSiO3 can be obtained by a hydrothermal route without further calcinations and SiO4 tetrahedra were the main constituents of the CdSiO3 NWs. The nanosecond optical limiting (OL) effects were characterized by using an open-aperture (OA) Z-scan technique with 4-ns laser pulses at both 532 and 1064 nm. Theses CdSiO3 NWs displayed an excellent OL performance at 532 and 1064 nm, which was better than carbon nanotubes, a benchmark optical limiter. Input-fluence dependent scattering measurements suggested than nonlinear scattering played an important role in the observed optical limiting behavior in CdSiO3 NWs at 532 and 1064 nm. More significantly, the NLO performance in CdSiO3 NWs incorporated solid silica gel glass has been improved in comparison to those dispersed in water. The unique structure and excellent OL property render these CdSiO3 NWs competitors in the realms of optical limiting applications.