Effects of PSMA and experimental conditions on the morphologies of BaCO3 whiskers

BaCO3 whiskers exhibiting different morphologies were fabricated by a simple precipitation reaction of barium chloride with sodium carbonate in the absence and presence of poly-（styrene-alt-maleic acid） （PSMA） as a crystal growth modifier at room temperature. The as-prepared products were characterized by scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, transmission electron microscopy （TEM）, and X-ray diffraction （XRD）. The influences of experimental parameters on the size and morphology of BaCO3 whiskers were investigated and discussed. It was found that the as-prepared BaCO3 whiskers are single crystals with diameter ranging from 100 to 300 nm, and grow along the crystallographic a-axis or [ 100] direction. BaCO3 whiskers with different morphologies, such as branching and dendritic structure, can be obtained depending on the experimental conditions. With increasing PSMA concentration, the diameter of BaCO3 whiskers decreases.

Effects of PSMA and experimental conditions on the morphologies of BaCO3 whiskers