Controllable fabrication of high-quality 6-fold symmetry-branched CdS nanostructures with ZnS nanowires as templates

Absolute 6-fold symmetrically branched CdS nanostructures were heteroepitaxially grown with a simple two-step evaporation method. The ZnS nanowires were synthesized in first step and were then used as templates for the following growth of 6-fold symmetrical CdS nanobelts or nanowire at varied temperature in the second step. The orientation relationship between ZnS nanowires and CdS nanobelts was investigated to confirm the effect of crystalline substrates on the epitaxial (1D directional) growth process of branch nanostructures. The photoluminescence spectra of as-synthesized nanostructures displayed a dominant and sharp band edge emission band, only accompanied with a weak and broad trap-state emission band under high excitation at room temperature. The present approach of epitaxial growth of symmetrical nanostructures from presynthesized template nanostructures may supply new opportunities for high-quality complex nanostructure growth, which may find new applications in the researches and devices of such nanostructures.