Fabrication of -GaO Nanotubes via Sacrificial GaSb-Nanowire Templates.

-GaO nanostructures are attractive wide-band-gap semiconductor materials as they exhibit promising photoelectric properties and potential applications. Despite the extensive efforts on -GaO nanowires, investigations into -GaO nanotubes are rare since the tubular structures are hard to synthesize. In this paper, we report a facile method for fabricating -GaO nanotubes using pre-synthesized GaSb nanowires as sacrificial templates.

Hydrothermal Synthesis of Te Nanosheets: Growth Mechanism and Electrical Property.

Hydrothermal synthesis is a highly efficient way to yield multiform Te nanosheets. However, the growth mechanisms and property discrepancies between different types of Te nanosheets are still unclear. In this paper, we perform an investigation on this issue by monitoring the hydrothermally synthesized Te nanosheets at different growth stages with transmission electron microscopy and electrical tests.

Revealing the alloying and dealloying behaviours in AuAg nanorods by thermal stimulus.

Binary metallic nanocrystals are attractive as they offer an extra degree of freedom for structure and phase modulation to generate synergistic effects and extraordinary properties. However, whether the binary structures and phases at the nanoscale still follow the rules established on the bulk counterparts remains unclear. In this work, AuAg nanorods were used as a sample to probe into this issue.

A novel method for visualization of the growth kinetics, structures and behaviours of gas-phase fabricated metallic alloy nanoparticles.

Modulation of gas-phase nanoparticles is unmethodical as there is a lack of information on the growth kinetics and its determinants. Here, we developed a novel evaporation-and-deposition (EAD) method inside a transmission electron microscope which enables direct visualization of the nucleation, growth, coalescence and shape/phase evolution of gas-phase fabricated nanoparticles. Using a BiPbSnIn alloy as a sample, the critical factors that determine the feasibility of this EAD method are revealed.

Surface Energy and Surface Stability of Ag Nanocrystals at Elevated Temperatures and Their Dominance in Sublimation-Induced Shape Evolution.

The surface energy and surface stability of Ag nanocrystals (NCs) are under debate because the measurable values of the surface energy are very inconsistent, and the indices of the observed thermally stable surfaces are apparently in conflict. To clarify this issue, a transmission electron microscope is used to investigate these problems in situ with elaborately designed carbon-shell-capsulated Ag NCs. It is demonstrated that the {111} surfaces are still thermally stable at elevated temperatures, and the victory of the formation of {110} surfaces over {111} surfaces on the Ag NCs during sublimation is due to the special crystal geometry.