A simple method to synthesize single-crystalline Zn2SnO4 (ZTO) nanowires and their photoluminescence properties

Single-crystalline Zn2SnO4 (ZTO) nanowires have been successfully synthesized using a simple thermal evaporation method by heating Zn and Sri powders directly without catalysts under a temperature lower than 800 degrees C. The synthesized ZTO nanowires are ribbon-like, and have an average width of 100-200 nm and thickness of 50 nm. These nanowires are ultra-long, up to 0.5-1 mm. Further analyses indicate that the synthesized products are ZTO nanowires with a fairly high purity. These nanowires are highly single crystalline in the face-centred-cubic spinel structure, and grow along the [1 (1) over bar1] direction. It is believed that the growth process of the nanowires follows a vapour-solid mechanism. Photoluminescence properties of the nanowires were measured, showing two green peaks at 529 and 544 nm and two yellow-orange emission peaks at 572 and 613 nm, which have not been reported before, besides the known blue-green peak (485 nm).