Molten Pb as a catalyst for large-scale growth of highly aligned silicon oxide nanowires

Low melting point metal Pb can be used as an effective catalyst for the large-scale growth of highly aligned silicon oxide nanowire balls. Unlike any previously observed results using Au or Fe as catalyst, the molten Pb-catalyzed vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth exhibits many amazing growth phenomena. The scan electron microscopy (SEM) data indicate that the silicon oxide nanowires grow out perpendicularly from the surface of the metal Pb balls. For each ball, numerous nanowires simultaneously nucleate, grow at nearly the same rate and direction, and simultaneously stop growing. The pear-like, flower-like, chrysanthemum-like, and echinus-like SiO2 nanostructures were formed. A growth model was proposed. The experimental results further expand the low melting point metal-catalyzed VLS mechanism to a broader range.