Catalytic synthesis of long NbS2 nanowire strands

Large-scale of long NbS2 nanowire strands were successfully synthesized by a catalyzed transport reaction involving C60. The strands have a diameter of 1–2 μm and length up to 0.5 mm, which are composed of single nanowire. The diameter of single nanowire is 1.6–20 nm. The products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, selected area electron diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Probable mechanisms for catalytic growth were proposed.