Template-engaged synthesis of RuSe2 and Pd17Se15 nanotubes by reacting precursor salts with selenium nanowires

In the present work, nanowires of trigonal selenium (t-Se) were reacted with Ru(acac)3 and Pd(acac)2 (or PdCl2) to generate RuSe2 and Pd17Se15 on the surface of each t-Se nanowire as a uniform, conformal sheath. The unreacted cores of selenium could be evaporated by heating the as-synthesized Se@RuSe2 and Se@Pd17Se15 nanocables to yield selenide nanotubes with their typical wall-thickness around 6 nm. This template-engaged approach allowed for the production of both nanocables and nanotubes in a relatively large scale, and is believed to be able to get extended to synthesize other chalcogenides as tubular nanostructures.