Aligned ultra-long single-crystalline α-Si(3)N(4) nanowires.

We report the synthesis of aligned ultra-long single-crystalline α-Si(3)N(4) nanowires by pyrolysis of a polymeric precursor without any template. The length of the wires is up to several centimeters, which is significantly longer than that of any Si(3)N(4) wires reported previously. Microscopy characterization reveals that the wires are single crystals, with a uniform diameter of ∼200 nm. Intense visible photoluminescence was observed between 1.3 and 3.7 eV. The wires could be useful in the fabrication of optoelectronic nanodevices and nanocomposites.