Growth Mechanism of Vertically Aligned Ag(TCNQ) Nanowires

Highly oriented Ag(TCNQ) nanowires have been prepared on Si(111) wafer at 100 degrees C by the vapour-transport reaction between silver and TCNQ without any other catalyst. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the composition and crystal structure of the obtained nanostructure were Ag(TCNQ) crystalline. Most Ag(TCNQ) nanowires were grown uniformly and vertically on the substrate with diameters ranging from 50 to 300 nm and the lengths measuring from 2 to 50 μm by scanning electron microscopy. Ag particles were observed on the substrate from pure thin Ag film heated under the same conditions as used in synthesizing the nanowires. Nucleation and short Ag(TCNQ) nanowires were prepared by controlling the reaction time, providing direct evidence of the growth mechanism in a nanometre scale. The growth process was explained according to the vapour–liquid–solid model. The gradient of temperature and the densely distributed Ag particles may contribute to the vertically aligned growth. These results will be helpful for the controllable synthesis of Ag(TCNQ) nanowires.