Jiang, X.Tian, B.Xiang, J.Qian, F.Zheng, G.Wang, H.Mai, L.Lieber, Charles2018-01-242011Jiang, X., B. Tian, J. Xiang, F. Qian, G. Zheng, H. Wang, L. Mai, and C. M. Lieber. 2011. “Rational Growth of Branched Nanowire Heterostructures with Synthetically Encoded Properties and Function.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108 (30) (July 5): 12212–12216. doi:10.1073/pnas.1108584108.0027-8424http://nrs.harvard.edu/urn-3:HUL.InstRepos:34737214Branched nanostructures represent unique, 3D building blocks for the “bottom-up” paradigm of nanoscale science and technology. Here, we report a rational, multistep approach toward the general synthesis of 3D branched nanowire (NW) heterostructures. Single-crystalline semiconductor, including groups IV, III–V, and II–VI, and metal branches have been selectively grown on core or core/shell NW backbones, with the composition, morphology, and doping of core (core/shell) NWs and branch NWs well controlled during synthesis. Measurements made on the different composition branched NW structures demonstrate encoding of functional p-type/n-type diodes and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) as well as field effect transistors with device function localized at the branch/backbone NW junctions. In addition, multibranch/backbone NW structures were synthesized and used to demonstrate capability to create addressable nanoscale LED arrays, logic circuits, and biological sensors. Our work demonstrates a previously undescribed level of structural and functional complexity in NW materials, and more generally, highlights the potential of bottom-up synthesis to yield increasingly complex functional systems in the future.en-USJournal Article2017-12-2720112018-01-2410.1073/pnas.1108584108