Formation mechanism of silicon carbide nanotubes with special morphology

SiC nanotubes have been synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. Research results show that SiC nanotubes consist of hollow inner pore, crystalline SiC wall layers, and thin amorphous silica sheath. Besides most abundant normal nanotubes, bamboo-shaped SiC nanotubes and elliptically hollow SiC nanospheres were also observed. The different morphologies of the SiC nanotubes are closely relative to the diameter of the SiC nanotubes. The confinement effect of other SiC nanotubes may play an important effect retarding the growth of SiC nanotubes to form the hollow SiC nanospheres. Defect inducing growth is proposed to explain the formation of bamboo-shaped SiC nanotubes. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.