Morphology control of indium germanate nanowires, nanoribbons, and hierarchical nanostructures.

Abstract

We report morphology controlled syntheses of indium germanate nanostructures, including nanowires, ultralong nanoribbons, and hierarchical nanostructures. Proper selection and combination of the growth conditions such as catalyst, carrier gas, and source material was the key aspect to achieve morphology control. The as-synthesized nanostructures are single crystals with a monoclinic phase based on X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy characterizations. Vapor−liquid−solid, vapor−solid, and a combination of the two mechanisms were used to explain the growth of nanowires, nanoribbons, and hierarchical nanostructures, respectively.