Fabrication of Copper Nanowire Encapsulated in SBA-15 Nanocomposite by Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

Copper nanowires encapsulated in mesoporous SBA-15 have been synthesized by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) at a low temperature in this study. Hydrogen has been found to be critically important in the chemical reduction of organometallic precursor (copper (II) acetylacetonate) which enhances the mass transfer in the interior of the SBA-15 porous substrate. Such copper nanostructures are of great potential in the semiconductor research area due to their unusual optical, magnetic and electronic properties. Our preparation methodology only requires a mild working condition compared to existing technologies. In addition, the dimensions of the encapsulated metal nanowire can be tailored by using different pore-sized substrates. This is the first time to synthesize tuned copper nanowires at a mild reaction condition which can be used as a foundation for the synthesis of copper nanowires encapsulated in small tubes.