Synthesis of single-crystalline Fe nanowires using catalyst-assisted chemical vapor deposition

Single crystal Fe nanowires have been successfully synthesized by chemical vapor deposition process at 600 °C using ferrocene as precursor and sapphire substrate with self-assembled Au nanoparticle catalyst. The growth mechanism of Fe nanowires has been investigated. At 600 °C, ferrocene decomposes into Fe which subsequently alloy with Au nanoparticles on the substrate. Fe–Au alloy nanoparticles act as nucleus sites for the growth of single crystal Fe nanowire. The competition between magnetocrystalline anisotropy and shape anisotropy leads to an easy magnetization axis along the wire direction, but with a small remanent magnetization.