Synthesis of SiC nanowires via catalyst-free pyrolysis of silicon-containing carbon materials derived from a hybrid precursor

SiC nanowires were successfully synthesized without catalyst by pyrolysis of silicon-containing pitch-derived carbon materials in a closed graphite crucible. These silicon-containing carbon materials were obtained by homogenization and co-carbonization of a hybrid precursor consisting of the toluene soluble fraction of coal tar pitch with polycarbosilane (PCS). The composition, morphology and structure of the nanowires were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and selected area electron diffraction (SAED). The influence of pyrolysis temperature on the growth of the nanowires was investigated by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermo-gravimetry coupled with mass spectroscopy (TG-MS) analysis. The results indicate that the growth of the SiC nanowires starts at around 1200 °C. As the pyrolysis temperature increases to 1300–1500 °C, a large quantity of nanowires are formed on the top surface of the pitch-derived carbon substrate. In addition, increasing the pyrolysis temperature leads to an increase in the average diameter and a change in the typical morphology produced. The synthesized SiC nanowires have single-crystalline structure and are grown along the [111] direction with numerous stacking faults and twins. The vapor-solid (VS) mechanism may be responsible for the growth process of the SiC nanowires.