Pulmonary Toxicity, Distribution, and Clearance of Intratracheally Instilled Silicon Nanowires in Rats

Figure 1

Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) image of silicon nanowires (Si NW) grown on a wafer using a vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) method with silane as the silicon precursor and 25 nm gold nanoparticles as the catalyst (a). FESEM image of concentrated Si NW that had been removed from the wafer and dried onto a planchet (b). A FESEM micrograph (c) and a transmission electron micrograph (d) showing individual Si NW (red arrows) with gold catalyst nanoparticles (yellow arrows) at one end of the wire after the Si NW had been isolated from the wafer.