Synthesis and Growth Mechanism of Quasialigned Ultrafine ZnS Nanowire Arrays Fabricated Directly on Zinc Foils

Quasialigned ZnS nanowire arrays have been synthesized directly on zinc substrates via a simple and mild one-step solvothermal method. The morphology, structure, and composition of the synthesized materials are evaluated by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. These ultrafine nanowire arrays fabricated directly on a zinc foil have diameters of 5-15 nm and grow along the [001] direction. The influence of the reaction time, temperature, and solvent on the morphology and composition of the products is investigated systematically and the growth mechanism of the ultrafine nanowire arrays is proposed. This growth model may enable better design and assembly of other chalcogenide nanowire arrays on the appropriate metal substrates for nanodevice applications.