Growth and characterization of axially periodic Zn2SnO4 (ZTO) nanostructures

Transparent semiconductor Zn2SnO4 nanowires were synthesized for the first time by the thermal evaporation method. The nanowires show a unique periodic structure along the axis of the nanowire. By varying the Zn ratio in the reactants, ZTO nanowires with different morphologies can be achieved. High-resolution transmission microscopy (HRTEM) characterization confirms that the ZTO nanowires are crystalline. PL (photoluminescence) measurement of the ZTO nanowires reveals a green emission band centered at similar to493 nm. Our method provides a simple approach for assembling nanocrystals into one-dimensional periodic nanostructures. These nanostructures may have potential applications for opto-electronic nanodevices and nanosystems. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.