Nanobelt and nanosaw structures of II-VI semiconductors

The II-VI semiconductors are important optoelectronic, luminescent, and lasing materials. This paper presents a review on synthesis, structure, and growth mechanisms of one-dimensional nanostructures of ZnS, CdSe, ZnSe, CdS and CdO. The two most frequently received wurtzite structures of these materials are 'nanobelts' and 'nanosaws'. The nanosaws are suggested to be a result of atomic-termination induced asymmetric growth due to the cation-terminated, catalytically active (0001) surface, while the anion-terminated (000 (1) over bar) is chemically inactive. It has also been shown that the phase transformation from wurtzite to zinc blend could also be a factor in initiating the growth of the saw teeth. The applications and nanodevices that have been built using nanobelts are also presented.