Powders consisting of Si-based nanosheets were synthesized by Ca atom extraction from CaSi2 powders using inositol hexakisphosphate （IP6）, which is known as a phytate for metal storage. The raw CaSi2 powders were simply immersed in a diluted IP6 solution, then dried. It is noted that the Si-based nanosheets were easily exfoliated from the powders, to expose the surfaces corresponding to the Si｛111｝ planes of the nanosheet. The structural and infrared optical properties of the Si-based nanosheets were examined. In addition, Si-based nanostructures were also synthesized by metallic atom extraction from SrSi2, BaSi2 and Mg2Si using the IP6 solution. It is found that the nanosheets mainly including amorphous phase were obtained for IP6-treated SrSi2, BaSi2 and Mg2Si powders. Moreover, amorphous Si-based nanostructures were synthesized from CaSi2 using citric acid and malic acid solutions. It is demonstrated that the morphological property of the synthesized Si-based nanostructures depends on the silicide templates and the solutions. New simple synthesis technique of Si-based nanostructures is proposed using the acid solutions.
