Large scale synthesis of single crystalline tungsten nanowires with extreme aspect ratios

One gram of tungsten nanowires – equivalent to 5 billion single wires – was produced by electrochemically processing a directionally solidified eutectic NiAl‐W alloy. Their release is realised by selective dissolution of the matrix with a yield beyond 98%. The nanowires are single crystals, homogeneous in diameter, and have extremely high aspect‐ratios (>1000!). A multitude of potential applications are feasible – including sensing, probing, and high temperature nanotechnology. magnified image