Research on the stability of the self-assembled silicon nanotubes

We report the first successful synthesis of self-assembled silicon nanotubes (SiNTs). The stability of these nanotubes was studied by etching with 5 wt% HF acid. It was found that the silicon oxide outer layer was removed by HF acid leaving behind pure crystalline silicon nanotubes, showing that the self-assembled silicon nanotubes are stable and thus opening up possibilities for research into applications of the silicon nanotubes. The results show that the stability of silicon nanotubes is closely related to their formation and growth process.