A Review on 1-D Nanomaterials: Scaling-Up with Gas-Phase Synthesis

Nanowire-like materials exhibit distinctive properties such as optical polarisation, waveguiding, and hydrophobic channelling, amongst many other useful phenomena. Such 1-D derived anisotropy can be further enhanced by arranging many similar nanowires into a coherent matrix, known as an array superstructure. Manufacture of nanowire arrays can be scaled-up considerably through judicious use of gas-phase methods. Historically, the gas-phase approach however has been extensively used for the bulk and rapid synthesis of isotropic 0-D nanomaterials such as carbon black and silica. The primary goal of this review is to document recent developments, applications, and capabilities in gas-phase synthesis methods of nanowire arrays. Secondly, we elucidate the design and use of the gas-phase synthesis approach; and finally, remaining challenges and needs are addressed to advance this field.