SiC nanowires grown on activated carbon in a polymer pyrolysis route

β-SiC nanowires are a novel type of photocatalysts. However, they tend to be entangled together especially at high concentrations when dispersed in water, which may reduce the photocatalytic activity. It is reasonable to expect that β-SiC nanowires would provide better photocatalytic activity if they are grown on activated carbon. In the letter we report the successful synthesis of quantities of β-SiC nanowires grown on the surfaces of the activated carbon by pyrolysis of polycarbosilane at 1300 °C. The nanowires, with the diameters of 50–100 nm and the length of tens of micrometers, are composed of single crystal β-SiC along the 〈1 1 1〉 direction. Both the VLS and the VS mechanisms were employed to interpret the nanowires growth.