ABSTRACT
The clearest experimental result is expected for individual gold wires with a cylindrical shape, a low defect density, and a clean surface. Gold is preferred because of its stability under ambient conditions. Gold wires with diameters between 60 and 200 nm were prepared, for example, by electrochemical deposition in etched ion-track membranes30,31. Fig. 12.1 shows a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) image of a gold nanowire (with D = 100 nm), displaying its smooth contour and regular shape. Transmission electron microscopy studies proved that gold nanowires deposited under the conditions mentioned above are polycrystalline30. After formation of wires with a controlled length, the polymer membrane was dissolved in dichloromethane in order to achieve clean nanowires.
