Facile synthesis of single-crystalline MnO 2 nanowire arrays with high photothermal catalytic activity.

A simple process has been developed to form single-crystalline β-MnO 2 nanowire arrays (NWAs) with a large surface area of 125 m 2 g -1 on a glass plate working as a highly active three dimensional (3D) photothermal catalyst under the illumination of near infrared light due to the efficient light harvesting and heat confinement near the reaction field in addition to the large surface area.