Synthesis of high-purity GaP nanowires using a vapor deposition method

High-purity gallium phosphide (GaP) nanowires were successfully synthesized on the nickel monoxide (NiO) or the cobalt monoxide (CoO) catalyzed alumina substrate by a simple vapor deposition method. To synthesize the high-purity GaP nanowires, the mixture source of gallium (Ga) and GaP powder was directly vaporized in the range of 850–1000 °C for 60 min under argon ambient. The diameter of GaP nanowires was about 38–105 nm and the length was up to several hundreds of micrometers. The GaP nanowires have a single-crystalline zinc blend structure and reveal the core-shell structure, which consists of the GaP core and the GaPO4/Ga2O3 outer layers. We demonstrate that the mixture of Ga/GaP is an ideal source for the high-yield GaP nanowires.