Large-scale synthesis of single-crystal alpha manganese sesquioxide nanowires via solid-state reaction

Smooth single-crystal alpha-Mn2O3 nanowires have been fabricated using a one-step solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction patterns show that the nanowires have pure phase of alpha-Mn2O3. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to investigate the size and morphology of the products. The alpha-M2O3 nanowires exhibit mean diameter of 50 nm and length of 10 mu m. Selected-area electron diffraction pattern demonstrates the single-crystal structure of the alpha-Mn2O3 nanowires, which are in good agreement with the X-ray diffraction results. The processes of the reactions and the phase transitions were also studied by using a simultaneous thermal gravimetric/differential thermal analyzer. It is found that the concentration of the precursor MnCO3 is a crucial factor in the formation of the nanowires. This work provides the probability of the industrialization of fabricating smooth single-crystal alpha-Mn2O3 nanowires. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.