Synthesis and structural characterization of single crystalline zigzag SnO2 nanobelts

Freestanding single crystalline zigzag SnO2 nanobelts have been synthesized by a simple thermal evaporation on an iron cylindrical sharp substrate. The heating temperature and Ar gas flow rate are two key points to control the morphology of the nanobelts. The morphology and the microstructure of the nanobelts have been characterized with a number of microscopic techniques. Crystallographic analyses revealed that the zigzag morphology is formed with alternating growth directions between two energy-equal (101) and (101) planes. Moreover, structural and compositional characterization show that the nanobelts do not grow directly on the iron substrate but on the small crystalline grains deposited on the iron oxide columns, which are ascribed to the oxidation of the iron substrate.