Synthesis and characterization of V2O3 nanorods.

In this work, VO2 nanorods have been initially generated as reactive nanoscale precursors to their subsequent conversion to large quantities of highly crystalline V2O3 with no detectable impurities. Structural changes in VO2, associated with the metallic-to-insulating transition from the monoclinic form to the rutile form, have been investigated and confirmed using X-ray diffraction and synchrotron data, showing that the structural transition is reversible and occurs at around 63 degrees C. When this VO2 one-dimensional sample was subsequently heated to 800 degrees C in a reducing atmosphere, it was successfully transformed into V2O3 with effective retention of its nanorod morphology. We have also collected magnetic and transport data on these systems that are comparable to bulk behavior and consistent with trends observed in previous experiments.