Synthesis of one-dimensional (1D) Ge-based ternary oxide nanostructures

Ternary complex oxide nanostructures of Ge-based materials, such as indium germanate (In₂Ge₂O₇, IGO) and zinc germanate (Zn₂GeO₄, ZGO), were successfully synthesized by a chemical vapor transport method. Morphologies of the nanostructures can be efficiently tuned by controlling the growth conditions, and various 1D nanostructures of the germanates (nanotubes, nanowires, nanobelts and hierarchical nanostructures) were synthesized. Structures and compositions of the nanostructures were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and EDS. It is believed that this method can be generalized for the synthesized of other complex oxide nanomaterials. The novel 1D oxide nanomaterials possess their potential applications in nanoelectronic and optoelectronic devices.