The implementation of nanowires and nanotubes for
applications such as thermoelectrics, catalysis, plasmonics, or
photoelectrochemical water splitting for hydrogen generation requires
both, an excellent control on geometry, crystallinity and composition of
the individual nanostructures, as well as its successful assembly into
2-D and 3-D architectures. This talk will illustrate how the unique
combination of electrodeposition and tailored nanochannel templates
provides an excellent platform (i) to study and control the nanowire
growth, (ii) to investigate their size-dependent properties, and (iii)
to develop 3D and multicomponent nanostructure assemblies.
Membranes with parallel nanochannels are fabricated by swift heavy ion
irradiation and subsequent chemical etching. In addition, templates with
interconnected tilted nanochannels are obtained by applying ion
irradiation at several incident angles in consecutive steps. Nanochannel
density and orientation, as well as diameter and geometry, are adjusted
by the irradiation and etching conditions, respectively. [1] Subsequent
electrodeposition in the channels results in nanowire arrays and highly
ordered 3-D nanowire ensembles of various materials. Recent developments
achieved on the electrodeposition of metal (Au1-xAgx) [2,3],
semiconductor (ZnO and p-Cu2O) [4] and semimetal (Sb) nanowire arrays
and nanowire networks [5] will also be presented.
[1] Characterization and properties of micro- and nanowires of
controlled size, composition, and geometry fabricated by
electrodeposition and ion-track technology, M.E. Toimil-Molares,
Beilstein J. Nanotechnol. 3 (2012) 860-883.
[2] Visualization of Multipolar Longitudinal and Transversal Surface
Plasmon Modes in Nanowire Dimers, I. Alber, W. Sigle, S. Müller, R.
Neumann, O. Picht, M. Rauber, P. A. van Aken, M.E. Toimil-Molares, ACS
Nano, 5 (12) (2011) 9845-9853.
[3] Surface enrichment in Au–Ag alloy nanowires and investigation of the
dealloying process, L. Burr, I. Schubert, W. Sigle, C. Trautmann, M.E.
Toimil-Molares, J. Phys. Chem. C 119 (2015) 20949-20956.
[4] ZnO Nanowire Networks as Photoanode Model Systems for
Photoelectrochemical Applications, L. Movsesyan, A.W. Maijenburg, N.
Goethals, W. Sigle, A. Spende, F. Yang, B. Kaiser, W. Jaegermann, S.-Y.
Park, G. Mul, C. Trautmann, M.E. Toimil-Molares, Nanomaterials (2018) 8,
693.