Selective growth of ZnO nanostructures with coordination polymers

One-dimensional semiconductor ZnO nanostructures with different morphologies can provide different practical and potential applications in a broad field. In this paper, a one-dimensional zigzag chain coordination polymer [Zn(4,4'-bipy)Cl-2](n) and a two-dimensional coordination polymer (2)(infinity)[Zn(ox)(4,4'-bipy)] are successfully promoted to obtain ZnO nanorods and radial nanoneedles on a large scale respectively, when they are directly employed as reactants. The different frameworks of coordination polymers can build various intermediates in the formation process, and the intermediates then mature to different morphologies in the final products. The possible formation mechanism and the PL spectra of both products are also investigated.