Controlled growth of well-faceted zigzag tin oxide mesostructures

Reproducibly high-yield growth of zigzag fibers and well-faceted nanobelts of SnO2 was achieved via tuning the reactant vapor. The investigation of the morphological evolution via scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy hints that the formation of the zigzag SnO2 fiber is based on the pregrowing SnO2 nanobelt. The elucidation of the growth mechanism should provide a fully controlled route for reproducibly high-yield growth of zigzag fibers of SnO2 and give some valuable hints to synthesis other zigzag mesostructures. Optical characterizations of these structures show very weak defect-related emissions. (C) 2005 American Institute of Physics.