Branched nanoscale wires

Abstract

The present invention generally relates to nanotechnology and, in particular, to branched nanoscale wires. In some cases, the branched nanoscale wires may be produced using vapor-phase and/or solution-phase synthesis. Branched nanoscale wires may be grown by depositing nanoparticles onto a nanoscale wire, and segments or 'branches' can then be grown from the nanoparticles. The nanoscale wire may be any nanoscale wire, for example, a semiconductor nanoscale wire, a nanoscale wire having a core and a shell. The segments may be of the same, or of different materials, than the nanoscale wire, for example, semiconductor/metal, semiconductor/semiconductor. The junction between the segment and the nanoscale wire, in some cases, is epitaxial. In one embodiment, the nanoparticles are adsorbed onto the nanoscale wire by immobilizing a positively-charged entity, such as polylysine, to the nanoscale wire, and exposing it to the nanoparticles. In another embodiment, nanoparticles are deposited onto a nanoscale wire by etching the nanoscale wire to produce an H-terminated surface, then exposing the surface to a solution comprising a metal ion, which can be reduced by the surface to form nanoparticles. Segments or branches can then be grown from the deposited nanoparticles to form the branched nanoscale wire.