Elegant SiOX heliotropes composed of assembled flexural SiOX nanowires

Abstract

Silicon oxide nanowires assembled with elegant heliotrope-shape have been synthesized by the modified evaporation of Fe and Si mixture sources. Structures and morphologies of the obtained microheliotropes were thoroughly studied by field emission scanning electron microscopy and high resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is suggested that the multinucleation sites around the perimeter of Fe droplet are responsible for the growth of SiOX nanowires and then via self-assembly process, which results in the formation of microheliotropes. These interesting results and discussion may be beneficial to the understanding of complex nanostructures formation and hopefully enrich the conventional knowledge of vapor-liquid-solid growth phenomena.