Conversion of bamboo to biomorphic composites containing silica and silicon carbide nanowires

Luk Bamboo had been converted into biomorphic composites containing high-purity cristobalite-SiO2 and beta-silicon carbide (SiC) nanowires after sintering at 1200 degrees and 1400 degrees C, respectively. The fabrication process was simple, in which no catalyst was needed and the sintering temperature was low. The procedure included pyrolysis of biotemplates, infiltration of a Si-containing reactant, and sintering. Both the SiO2 and SiC nanowires were grown by a two-stage growth mechanism, in which the impurities from raw bamboo acted as catalysts. We successfully demonstrated that inexpensive Luk bamboo could provide a breakthrough, cost-effective, and eco-friendly route for self-assembling one-dimensional nano-structures in highly porous biomorphic materials.