Solution-based growth and structural characterization of homo- and heterobranched semiconductor nanowires

Colloidal homobranched ZnSe nanowires (NWs) and heterobranched CdSe-ZnSe NWs are successfully synthesized by combining a sequential seeding strategy with the solution-liquid-solid (SLS) growth process. We have developed an efficient approach to deposit secondary bismuth nanoparticles onto the NW backbone to induce the subsequent SLS branch growth. The density, length, and diameter of branches are rationally controlled by varying reaction conditions. Structural characterization reveals that crystalline branches grow epitaxially from the backbone in both homo- and heterobranched NWs. Two different branching structures are observed in the CdSe-ZnSe heterobranched NWs, owing to the phase admixture, i.e., cubic and hexagonal crystal structures, coexisting in the CdSe NW backbones. These branched NWs with well-designed architectures are expected to have potential as three-dimensional building blocks in the fabrication of nanoscale electronics and photonics.