Morphology control of layer-structured gallium selenide nanowires

Layer-structured group III chalcogenides have highly anisotropic properties and are attractive materials for stable photocathodes and battery electrodes. We report the controlled synthesis and characterization of layer-structured GaSe nanowires via a catalyst-assisted vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) growth mechanism during GaSe powder evaporation. GaSe nanowires consist of Se-Ga-Ga-Se layers stacked together via van der Waals interactions to form belt-shaped nanowires with a growth direction along the [11-20], width along the [1-100], and height along the [0001] direction. Nanobelts exhibit a variety of morphologies including straight, zigzag, and saw-tooth shapes. These morphologies are realized by controlling the growth temperature and time so that the actual catalysts have a chemical composition of Au, Au-Ga alloy, or Ga. The participation of Ga in the VLS catalyst is important for achieving different morphologies of GaSe. In addition, GaSe nanotubes are also prepared by a slow growth process.