Abstract
Nanowires of metal borates Al18B9O33 and MgB4O7 were synthesized by thermal evaporation of mixed powders containing metal oxide (Al2O3 or MgO) and boron oxide. Typical widths of these nanowires are in the range of 10 to ∼100 nm and lengths are in the range of several to several tens of micrometers. The nanowires were studied using a high-resolution transmission electron microscope equipped with electron energy loss spectrometer and energy dispersive x-ray spectrometer. The metal borate nanowires fabricated in this way are single crystals. It is proposed that these metal borate nanowires are grown in a vapor–solid process, in which both the metal oxide and boron oxide vapors were simultaneously involved.