One-dimensional γ-Al2O3 growth from the oxidation of NiAl

We report an oxide nanowire growth phenomenon that morphologically resembles the vapor-liquid-solid process but with a fundamentally different mechanism. This is demonstrated with the high-temperature NiAl oxidation that results in the unidirectional γ-Al2O3 growth with a NiO nanoparticle at the nanowire tip. The NiO nanoparticle surface serves as the active site for dissociative O2 adsorption that produces an inward flux of atomic oxygen toward the γ-Al2O3/NiAl interface for γ-Al2O3 growth by reacting with bottom-up diffusing Al3+ cations. The nanowire lengthening follows the parabolic kinetics with the upward lattice diffusion of Al3+ cations in the γ-Al2O3 nanowires as the rate-limiting factor. [Display omitted] •NiAl oxidation results in γ-Al2O3 nanowire growth with a NiO particle at the tip.•Dissociative O2 adsorption on NiO leads to an O flux to the NiO/γ-Al2O3 interface.•Unidirectional Al2O3 growth takes place at the NiO/γ-Al2O3 interface.•The nanowire lengthening follows the parabolic kinetics.•The growth morphology resembles the VLS process but has a different mechanism.