Hierarchical assemblies of Si3N4 nanostructures

• The hierarchical assemblies of Si3N4 nanostructures were firstly fabricated.
• The catalytic droplet size plays a critical role on the nanostructures growth.
• A mechanism was proposed for the assembly of hierarchical Si3N4 nanostructures.

In the present work, for the first time, we report the growth of hierarchical assemblies of Si3N4 nanostructures via catalyst-assisted pyrolysis of a polymeric precursor on the Si substrates. The synthesized products were characterized by using field emission scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. It is found that the size of the catalytic droplet plays a critical role on the formation of hierarchical assemblies of Si3N4 nanostructures rather than common single nanowire. A mechanism based on the Vapor–Liquid–Solid (VLS) process was proposed for the assembly of hierarchical Si3N4 nanostructures.

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