Reverse Micelle Based Formation of BaCO3 Nanowires

A reverse micelle based approach is reported for the synthesis of BaCO 3 nanowires with lengths up to 100 μm and diameters as small as 10−30 nm, each of which is a continuous single crystal with the c -axis along the wire length axis. The synthesis is achieved by the reaction of barium and carbonate ions solubilized in the polar cores of nonionic reverse micelles of C 12 E 4 (tetraethylene glycol monododecyl ether) in cyclohexane. The crystal growth of BaCO 3 nanowires has been examined by electron microscopy observations, and a directional aggregation process is proposed for the nanowire formation.