Smooth silicon oxide nanowires under supercritically hydrothermal conditions

Large-scale amorphous silicon oxide nanowires (SiONWs) have been synthesized from silicon monoxide powder under supercritically hydrothermal conditions. The SiONWs with smooth surface can reach tens of microns long. Selected area electron diffraction (SAED) shows that the samples are completely amorphous. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDX) analysis reveals that the SiONWs consist of Si and O elements in atomic ratio approximately to 1:1.5. Photoluminescence (PL) shows luminescence in both blue and visible. During the growth process, the H+ and OH− blocks the defects located on the surface of the SiONWs and lead to the constant growth of the SiONWs.