Hydrothermal growth of single-crystal CaV6O16·3H2O nanoribbons

Abstract CaV 6 O 16 ·3H 2 O nanoribbons have been prepared by the hydrothermal method in the presence of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) at 160°C for 10 h. X-ray diffraction pattern indicates that the sample is monoclinic phase of CaV 6 O 16 ·3H 2 O with the lattice contents a =12.18 A, b =3.598 A, c =18.39 A, β =118.03°. Field emission scanning electron microscopy shows that the nanoribbons have widths in the range of 150–500 nm, thicknesses of 30–60 nm and lengths of ∼500 mm X-ray photoelectron spectrum measurements further confirm the formation of the CaV 6 O 16 ·3H 2 O phase. The formation of CaV 6 O 16 ·3H 2 O nanoribbons is a self-assembling process, in which surfactant SDS plays the role of soft template.