Structural Stability and Compressibility Study for ZnO Nanobelts under High Pressure

The study of nanoscale materials with well-controlled shape could help us to learn more about the morphology effect on phase stability and elastic properties. In situ high-pressure synchrotron angle-dispersive X-ray diffraction for nanobelt and bulk ZnO was measured side-by-side in the same diamond anvil cell at room temperature up to 29 GPa. The pressure-induced wurtzite-type to rocksalt-type structural transition was observed starting at 9.3 GPa for both of these two types of ZnO samples, and no enhanced structural stability for ZnO nanobelts under pressure was found. The relative bigger bulk moduli of wurtzite- and rocksalt-type ZnO nanobelts implicated the morphology effect on its compressibility.