Effect of carbon nanotexture on the synthesis, initial growth mechanism and photoluminescence properties of SiC nanowires.

Although the spontaneous vapor-solid growth of SiC nanowires is a well-established phenomenon, the exact mechanism by which nanowires grow on substrates is still poorly understood. Here, we studied the initial growth of SiC nanowires on carbon sources with different nanotextures via a catalyst-free vapor reaction between a polyacrylonitrile-based carbon fiber and a silicon powder. The results revealed that the SiC nanowires were preferentially formed on the carbon fiber with a higher degree of graphitization.