Pyrolytic Synthesis of Single-Crystal Si3N4 Nanowires by Polymeric Precursor

The present work synthesized Si3N4 nanowires by polymeric precursor pyrolysis in pure N-2 atmosphere. Micro-characterization reveals as-synthesized Si3N4 nanowires are single crystalline and grow along [10-10]. The vapor-solid (VS) process should be the dominant growth mechanism. Photoluminescence (PL) measurement was performed at room temperature using a HeCd laser with an excitation wavelength of 325 nm. Si3N4 nanowires exhibit intensive and broad emission. This intensive light emission can be observed even with the naked eye. considering that the mid-gap levels of Si3N4 can be easily tailored by rare-earth doping (such as Nd, Eu, Er and Yb), Si3N4 nanowires could have great potential for the research on anti-counterfeit luminescent materials.