Large-scale synthesis of β-SiC nanowires by using mesoporous silica embedded with Fe nanoparticles

A novel method has been developed to produce bulk quantities of β-SiC nanowires from the mixture of activated carbon and sol–gel derived silica embedded with Fe nanoparticles. Detailed investigation with X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersed X-ray and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy confirm that the nanowires consist of a 10–30 nm diameter single crystalline core wrapped with an amorphous silicon oxide layer, and have length up to several tens of micrometers. The formation process of β-SiC nanowires involves carbothermal reduction and a vapor–liquid–solid growth process. Two broad photoluminescence peaks located around 340 and 440 nm were observed at room temperature.