Facile synthesis of ultrathin and single-crystalline Au nanowires

Au nanowires have attracted significant interest in nanomaterials research owing to their chemical stability and high conductivity for potential nanoelectronic applications. However, previous syntheses yielded only polycrystalline Au nanowires with diameters larger than 10 nm. Very recent advances in solution-phase synthesis have led to the formation of ultrathin single-crystalline Au nanowires with diameters of less than 10 nm. This Focus Review summarizes the synthesis, characterization, and transport studies of these ultrathin single-crystalline Au nanowires for potential electronic device applications.