Large‐scale synthesis of hafnium carbide nanowires via a Ni‐assisted polymer infiltration and pyrolysis

Abstract

AbstractHafnium carbide (HfC) nanowires were successfully synthesized on C/C composites via a Ni‐assisted polymer infiltration and pyrolysis. Before synthesizing HfC nanowires, the composition and microstructure of the organic HfC precursor and its pyrolyzed products were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectra, X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and X‐ray diffraction. The effect of heat‐treatment temperature on the morphology and microstructure of HfC nanowires were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. Results show that HfC nanowires exhibits three‐layer core‐shell structure, including HfC core, HfO2 inner shell (~2 nm) and carbon nanosheet outer shell (~1 nm). The obtained HfC nanowire is typically grown along <01> with the diameters of ~100 nm and the length of several micrometers. The growth of HfC nanowire follows the combination of top‐type vapor‐liquid‐solid and solid‐liquid‐solid mechanism.