Using molecular dynamics simulations, we have predicted the thermal conductivity of Bi2Te3 nanowires with diameters ranging from 3 to 30 nm with both smooth and rough surfaces. It is found that when the nanowire diameter decreases to the molecular scale (below 10 nm, or the so-called “quantum wire”), the thermal conductivity shows significant reduction as compared to bulk value. On the other ha...

We report the results of composite tungsten oxide nanowires-based gas sensors. The morphologic surface, crystallographic structures, and chemical compositions of the obtained nanowires have been investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Raman scattering, respectively. The experimental measurements reveal that each wire consists of crystalline nanopartic...

Silver (Ag) nanowires with chemically clean surfaces have been directly grown on semi-insulating gallium arsenide (GaAs) wafers through a simple solution/solid interfacial reaction (SSIR) between the GaAs wafers themselves and aqueous solutions of silver nitrate (AgNO(3)) at room temperature. The success in synthesis of Ag nanowires mainly benefits from the low concentration of surface electron...

The nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) method has been used to calculate the lattice thermal conductivities of Ar and Kr/Ar nanostructures in order to study the effects of interface scattering, boundary scattering, and elastic strain on lattice thermal conductivity. Results show that interface scattering poses significant resistance to phonon transport in superlattices and superlattice na...

The unambiguous measurement of carrier concentration and mobility in semiconductor nanowires remains a challenging task. This is a consequence of their one-dimensional nature and the incompatibility with Hall or van der Pauw measurements. We propose a method that allows the direct determination of mobility and carrier concentration in nanowires in a contact-less manner. We demonstrate how forwa...

The lattice dynamics in an array of 56 nm diameter Bi2Te3 nanowires embedded in a self-ordered amorphous alumina membrane were investigated microscopically using (125)Te nuclear inelastic scattering. The element specific density of phonon states is measured on nanowires in two perpendicular orientations and the speed of sound is extracted. Combined high energy synchrotron radiation diffraction ...

Surface-hydrogenated anatase TiO(2) (TiO(2)-H) nanowire-microspheres were prepared by converting protonated titanate nanotube to TiO(2)-H under a hydrogen atmosphere. We show that TiO(2)-H nanowire-microspheres have Ti-H and O-H bonds on their surface and exhibit improved visible-light absorption and highly enhanced photocatalytic activity.

Bolometers are detectors of electromagnetic radiation that usually convert the radiation-induced change in temperature detector into electric signals. Temperature-dependent electrical resistance semiconductors and superconductors, thermoelectric effect thermocouples, pyroelectric transient polarization certain materials when they heated or cooled among underlying physical phenomena used bolomet...