Abstract
Gaq3 nanowires and nanoparticles were fabricated by vapor condensation in inert gases. The morphology of the Gaq3 nanostructures is mainly controlled by the working temperature, and modulated by the working pressure. Higher working temperature leads to formation of nanoparticles, while lower temperature leads to formation of nanowires. The diameter of the nanowires ranges from 40 to 80 nm, while that of the nanoparticles ranges from 80 nm to over 1 μm. Larger nanoparticles can be obtained when the working pressure increases. A vapor-solid growth mechanism was adopted to explain the formation of the Gaq3 nanowires and nanoparticles. To further understand the crystallinities and thermal and optical properties of Gaq3 nanostructures, XRD, FTIR, NMR, DSC, and PL analysis were made. The Gaq3 nanostructures were identified to be δ-phase which consists of fac-Gaq3, while the raw material was β-phase which consists of mer-Gaq3. The result can be used to explain the blue shift in PL spectrum of the Gaq3 nanostructures (~511 nm) with respect to that of the raw material (~ 519 nm). Since both Gaq3 and Alq3 belong to Mq3 compounds, a comparison of the properties between Gaq3 and Alq3 nanostructures is made to illustrate the trend of the Mq3 series.