Anomalous electrical conductivity of nanosheaves of CeO ₂

Anomalous electrical conductivity and synthesis of nanosheaves of CeO ₂, which is a functional oxide, was reported. 0.01 M cerium nitrate and 0.01 M hexamethylenetertramine were dissolved in 50 mL of distilled water. This mixture in a sealed container was heated up to 100°C for 1 h under vigorous stirring. Silicon( 100) substrates cleaned with acetone, methanol, and isopropanol subsequently were put into the reaction mixture and then kept at 100°C for 1 h. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution (scanning) transmission electron microscopy were used to characterize the size, shape. structure. and composition of the CeO ₂ nanostructures with different morphologies that were formed on the Si substrates. The electrical resistance of the sheaf using both two-probe ac and dc techniques was measured to investigate the electrical characteristics of such a bundle of 1-D CeO ₂ nanostructuctures. It was found that both the ac and dc resistances of the substrate exceed the upper detection limit.