Carbide assisted in-suit growth and formation mechanism of SiC nanowires on the surface of defined carbon fibers

The in-suit synthesis of SiC nanowires (SiCNWs) on carbon fibers (CFs) to produce SiC@C composites is pivotal due to their broad applications. However, it's challenging because most CFs have a microstructure unsuitable for SiCNWs nucleation. In this study, we introduced a series of carbide coatings on CFs to facilitate the growth of SiCNWs through a thermal evaporation process. It was observed that carbide coatings on CFs significantly enhance the nucleation of SiC, enabling the efficient production of SiCNWs@CF. These SiCNWs can grow directly on the carbide-coated CFs through heteroepitaxial nucleation. Carbide coatings with a cubic phase structure and a crystalline size of less than 50 nm are vital for SiCNWs formation. This carbides coating approach is beneficial not only for carbon materials but also holds potential for numerous other matrices.