Structural and electronic properties of ZnS/ZnO heteronanotubes

We perform first-principles calculations to study the structural, energetic, and electronic properties of axial and core-shell ZnS/ZnO heteronanotubes. The results show that axial heteronanotubes have smooth and defect-free interfaces. The charge redistribution near the interfaces gives rise to a built-in electric field. The band scheme diagram of axial armchair heteronanotube displays the characteristic of type-I band alignment, while that of the ZnO@ZnS core-shell heteronanotube has a type-II band alignment. These heteronanotubes may have practical applications as UV optically active materials. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.