Synthesis, structure and properties of Sn-doped ZnO nanobelts

Single crystalline Sn-doped ZnO nanobelts were successfully synthesized by the carbon thermal reduction deposition process without using any catalyst. XRD investigation confirmed that the products were the wurtzite structure of ZnO. SEM, EDS, and TEM analyses showed that the Sn-doped ZnO nanostructures contained a belt-like morphology with Sn doping content about 1.9%, and the growth direction of nanobelts was along the [0001] direction. A weak UV emission peak at around 398.4 nm and a strong green emission peak at around 494.8 nm were observed at room temperature. The luminescence mechanism of the Sn/ZnO nanobelts was also discussed. These nanobelts were promising building blocks for fabrication of nanoscale optoelectronic devices.