Si is a promising anode material for Li storage due to its high theoretical specific capacity surpassing 4200 Ah/kg. Si based anodes exhibit an extreme instability upon electrochemical incorporation of Li given the accompanied large volume expansion of about 400%. We show innovative anode assemblies composed of a forest of free standing Si nanowires conformally integrated on carbon meshes. The morphology of silicon nanowires allows a volume expansion and compression lowering strain incorporation. In this paper, we demonstrate the utilization of SiNW grown on top of a current collector made of a carbon fiber network. This leads to an increase of stability of Si with a remaining effective capacitance above 2000 Ah/kg(Si) after 225 full charge/discharge cycles. This is significantly better compared to previous results shown in literature. The anodes are fabricated by a simple and inexpensive method promising for a transfer into industrial integration.

Self-catalyzed growth of position-defined InP nanowires (NWs) was investigated on SiO2-mask-pattered Si substrates using metalorganic vapor-phase epitaxy. Using low growth temperatures and high group-III flow rates, pyramidal InP NWs were formed vertically on the mask openings. The diameter and tapering of the InP NWs were successfully controlled by the introduction of HCl and H2S gases during the NW growth. In addition, crystal growth of radial InP/InAsP/InP quantum wells on the sidewall of the InP NWs was performed on Si substrates.

MicroRaman spectroscopy was used for the characterization of heterostructured SiGe/Si nanowires. The NWs were grown with alloyed AuGa catalysts droplets with different Ga compositions aiming to make more abrupt heterojunctions. The heterojunctions were first characterized by TEM; then the NWs were scanned by the laser beam in order to probe the heterojunction. The capability of the MicroRaman spectroscopy for studying the heterojunction is discussed. The results show that the use of catalysts with lower Ge and Si solubility (AuGa alloys) permits to achieve more abrupt junctions.

In the present study, Fe as a catalyst was used to grow single crystalline monoclinic gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) nanowires using chemical-vapor-deposition method. The morphology, structure and luminescence properties of the as-grown β-Ga2O3 nanowires were investigated using various characterization techniques. The diameter of the as-grown nanowires was in the range of 50 to 100 nm, and the lengths up to tens of micrometers. The structural investigation of the nanowires was carried out using X-ray diffraction that showed monoclinic phase of Ga2O3. Further, the transmission electron microscope (TEM) investigations along with selected area diffraction pattern revealing single crystalline nature of the nanowires. The as-grown β-Ga2O3 nanowires had preferred orientation along [1-1-1] direction. The high resolution TEM image showed regular arrangement of atoms and the lattice spacing between (1-1-1) planes was around 0.266 nm. The luminescence properties of the as-grown nanowires were measured using cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy. The CL measurements of β-Ga2O3 nanowires revealed a strong broad UV-blue emission band and a weak red emission band.

This article describes feasible and improved ways towards enhanced nanowire growth kinetics by reducing the equilibrium solute concentration in the liquid collector phase in a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) like growth model. Use of bi-metallic alloy seeds (AuxAg1-x) influences the germanium supersaturation for a faster nucleation and growth kinetics. Nanowire growth with ternary eutectic alloys shows Gibbs-Thompson effect with diameter dependent growth rate. In-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) annealing experiments directly confirms the role of equilibrium concentration in nanowire growth kinetics and was used to correlate the equilibrium content of metastable alloys with the growth kinetics of Ge nanowires. The shape and geometry of the heterogeneous interfaces between the liquid eutectic and solid Ge nanowires were found to vary as a function of nanowire diameter and eutectic alloy composition.

A generalized route encompassing a facile hybrid physical/chemical approach is reported for fabricating size and shape selective nanowires of technologically important ferroelectric perovskite oxides (Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PZT) and Pb-free ZnSnO3) on industrially feasible large-area substrates. The approaches involve depositing nano-seed layers (50 - 100 nm in thickness) of the desired materials (Ti for PZT and ZnO for ZnSnO3) by pulsed laser deposition and RF sputtering techniques followed by oriented growth of nanowire arrays of these materials by solvothermal processes by varying solvent compositions and ratios. Similar crystal symmetry between the seed-layers facilitated the growth of well-aligned nanowire arrays of the targeted materials homogeneously on the substrates with a high packing density. Measurements of the electronic (field-emission), and ferroelectric properties of the materials are performed and discussed in terms of understanding their potential for future technological applications. The facile, low-cost method for fabricating high quality nanowires may expand the outreach of probes for understanding the structure-property relations in other perovskite materials.