Ion-beam-induced modifications in the structural and electrical properties of copper oxide selenite nanowires

• Nanowires were synthesized via template-assisted electrodeposition method.
• Copper oxide selenite nanowires were irradiated with 160 MeV, Ni+12 ion beam.
• XRD confirmed no change in phase of irradiated nanowires.
• Electrical resistivity of nanowires was found to decrease with the ion fluence.

Irradiation with swift heavy ions (SHIs) with energy in the MeV range is a unique tool for engineering the properties of materials. In this context, the objective of the present work is to study the conduction of charge carriers in pre- and post-ion-irradiated semiconducting nanowires. Copper oxide selenite nanowires were synthesized using a template-assisted electrodeposition technique from an aqueous solution of 0.8 M CuSO4·5H2O and 8 mM SeO2. The synthesized nanowires were observed to have a monoclinic structure with linear I–V characteristics (IVC). The effect of irradiation with 160 MeV Ni+12 ions on the properties of the copper oxide selenite nanowires was investigated for fluences varying from 1011 to 1013 ions/cm2. XRD spectra confirmed no change in the phase of the swift-heavy-ion-irradiated nanowires, but a modification in the orientation of the planes was observed that depended on the ion fluence. The electrical resistivity of the semiconducting nanowires also varied with the ion fluence. Simultaneous irradiation-induced modifications to the electro-chemical potential gradient and the granular properties of the material may have been the origin of the alteration in the structural and electrical properties of the nanowires.