Controllable growth of Se nanotubes and nanowires from different solvent during the sonochemical process

Selenium (Se) nanotubes and nanowires have been controllably prepared by a solution-phase approach consisting of hydrothermal process and subsequent sonochemical process in different solvent including methanol, ethanol, acetone, dimethyl formamide, water, isopropanol and ethylene glycol. It is revealed that the formation of the Se nanotubes or nanowires is dependent on the breakage or not of the in-situ generated Se nanoparticles. The effects of the solvents on the morphology of Se nanostructures have been preliminarily discussed. Finally, Se nanotubes and nanowires have been characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scan electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and Raman spectroscopy.