Abstract
Amorphous AlQ 3 thin film and nanoparticles can directly grow into crystalline nanowires by a one-step heat treatment. With appropriate Ar pressure and heating time at 190 °C, growth of α-phase nanowires from the film occurs. Similar growth from amorphous nanoparticles is also demonstrated by heat treatment at 150 °C. The growth is dictated by the anisotropic crystallographic nature of α-AlQ 3 . The growth mechanism can be illustrated in terms of nucleation and molecular migration within the film or nanoparticles. Complete structural transformation to nanowires leads to a spectral blue shift and an enhanced intensity of photoluminescence. © IOP Publishing Ltd.