W₅O₁₄ Nanowires

We report on the synthesis of quasi‐1D W 5 O 14 crystals using NiI 2 as a growth promoter. Photoelectron spectroscopy revealed the metallic conductivity of the W 5 O 14 nanowires, which was also confirmed by direct‐transport measurements on a double‐stranded nanowire. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron‐diffraction data are correlated with details of crystal growth revealing the possible mechanism of the formation of this rarely synthesized phase, which was reported as a homogeneous phase only in 1978 by McColm et al., and in the meantime has been declared as a compound that is rare.