Quasi-one-dimensional nanostructures of silicon, oxides, and other materials show great promise for a variety of applications. These nanostructures are commonly grown using metal catalyst nanoparticles. This paper investigates the growth mechanism of Au-catalyzed Si nanowires through in situ x-ray diffraction, and the results are compared to previously studied Au-catalyzed ZnO nanorods. The Si nanowires were found to grow from molten catalyst particles, however, the ZnO nanorods were found to grow from solid catalyst particles through a surface diffusion process. From this comparison, the relative bonding types of the catalyst and source material are determined to have a significant effect on the growth mechanism.
One-dimensional (1D) nanostructures have numerous potential applications in science and engineering. Nanocomposites made of nanowires, such as carbon nanotubes, are likely to decrease material's density and increase its strength,[1] which are of critical importance to space technology. To investigate the uniqueness offered by these materials, new techniques must be developed to quantitatively measure the properties of individual wire-like structures whose structures are well characterized by electron microscopy techniques, because their properties may sensitively depend on their geometrical shape/configurations and crystal as well as surface structures. Within the framework of in-situ TEM we have recently developed a novel approach that relies on electric field induced mechanical resonance for measuring the properties of individual wire-like structures, such as Young's modulus, electron field emission, tip work function, and electrical quantum conductance. This is a new technique that provides the properties of a single nanowire with well characterized.
We recently reported that chronic exposure to fenoterol (FEN) in guinea pigs increases in vivo and in vitro airway responsiveness to a degree similar to that induced by chronic antigen (ovalbumin [OA]) exposure. We hypothesized that these changes were due to airway inflammation and airway remodeling. To trace newly recruited granulocytes as a marker of inflammation and to detect DNA replication in resident airway wall cells, the nucleotide 5'-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) was administered intermittently over the six-wk period of chronic FEN and/or OA exposure. Noncartilaginous airway dimensions were measured and the area fraction of BrdU-immunoreactive and total nuclei in adventitia, smooth muscle, and epithelium was determined by immunohistochemistry and point counting. The proliferation index was defined as the ratio of the two area fractions in each wall area. The adventitial areas of FEN- and OA-treated airways were respectively 62 and 88% greater than those of control airways (p < 0.05). The inner wall areas were not increased. The smooth muscle cell and epithelial cell proliferation index was increased after OA (smooth muscle index: control, 2.7 +/- 1.1% [SEM]; OA, 23.0 +/- 3.7%; p < 0.02) but not after FEN exposure, and there was an increased number of BrdU-immunoreactive granulocytes in the adventitia and epithelium after OA but not after FEN exposure. The increased in vivo airways responsiveness produced by chronic OA or FEN exposure may be attributable to adventitial thickening and increased in vitro muscle contractility, but the cellular mechanisms underlying these and other airway wall responses are different.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
