Low-temperature performance of Al4B2O9 nanowires

In this paper we report on the synthetic investigation of single-crystalline aluminum borate (Al4B2O9) nanowires in large scale by a direct calcination of a precursor powder made of Na2B4O7·10H2O and Al (NO3)3·9H2O at a low temperature of 850 °C. The nanowires, with the diameter of 20–40 nm and the length up to several micrometers, possess smooth surfaces and uniform sizes along the entire wire. The growth mechanism of the nanowires is attributed to a solid–liquid–solid process, which controls the nanowire morphology.