  A thermally induced templated synthesis for SiC nanotubes and nanofibers
using ammonia or nitrogen as a carrier gas, single wall carbon nanotubes
(SWCNT) as templates as well as gaseous Si is presented. The bundles of SWCNT
act as both the carbon source and as a nanoframe from which SiC structuctures
form. Depending on the duration of the thermally induced templated reaction,
for a fixed temperature, carrier gas, and gas pressure, various SiC
nanostructures are obtained. These structures include SiC nanorods coated in C,
SiC nanorods, SiC nanotubes, and SiC nanocrytals. From our analysis using
transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM),
electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS), electron diffraction (EDX), optical
absorption spectroscopy and Raman spectroscopy as probes we prove that H has a
key role on the morphology and stochiometry of the different SiC
nanostructures.
