Patent ID: 7776384

Claim:
A method for monitoring the production of nanometric filamentary structures, the method comprising: passing a gaseous phase comprising nanometric filamentary structures through a space defined between at least two electrodes generating an electric field for causing an increase of current between said electrodes; and analyzing behavior of said current over a predetermined period of time and/or analyzing at least one of the size, density and shape of said nanometric filamentary structures or aggregates thereof present in said gaseous phase, wherein said nanometric filamentary structures comprise nanostructures chosen from nanowires, nanorods, nanofibers, nanoribbons, and nanotubes of a member chosen from C, BN, B, Si, Ge, Bi, Sn, Te, Se, Hg, Si 3 N 4 , V 2 O 3 , MX 2 wherein M is Ti, Zr, Hf, Nb, Ta, Mo, W or Re and X is S, Se or Te, InP, InAs, GaN, GaP, GaAs, Ga 2 O 3 , ZnO, In 2 O 3 , Na 2 V 3 O 7 , Al 2 O 3 , B 2 O 3 , MgO, CdO, SiO 2 , SnO 2 , CuO, (SN) x , Cu 2 S, B x C y N z , NiCl 2 , InS, ZnS, ZnSe, CdS, CdSe, Ag 2 Se, SiC, B 4 C, M 2 MoX 6 wherein M is Li or Na and X is Se or Te, coated structures thereof and mixtures thereof.