Synthesis of Silicon Carbide Nanostructures via a Simplified Yajima Process—Reaction at the Vapor–Liquid Interface

A preceramic polymer route developed in 1975 has been simplified to efficiently generate β-SiC nanostructures, including cubic cages (see Figure), cubic shells, and nanoparticles. The nanostructures are generated by the reaction of liquid sodium with the vapors of methylchlorosilanes, with the morphology of the resulting nanostructures dependent upon the interactions between the phase-separated solid products generated at the interface of the vapor–liquid/solid reactions.