Fabrication, structural characterization and photoluminescence of Q-1D semiconductor ZnS hierarchical nanostructures

Quasi-one-dimensional semiconductor ZnS hierarchical nanostructures have been fabricated by thermal evaporation of a mixture of ZnS nanopowders and Sn powders. Sn nanoparticles are located at or close to the tips of the nanowires (or nanoneedles) and served as the catalyst for quasi-one-dimensional ZnS nanostructure growth by a vapour-liquid-solid mechanism. The morphology and microstructure of the ZnS hierarchical nanostructures were measured by scanning electron microscopy and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results show that a large number of ZnS nanoneedles were formed on the outer shells of a long and straight ZnS axial nanowire. The ZnS axial nanowires grow along the [001] direction, and ZnS nanoneedles are aligned over the surface of the ZnS nanowire in the radial direction. The room temperature photoluminescence spectrum exhibits a UV weak emission centred at 337 nm and one blue emission centred at 436 nm from the as-synthesized single-crystalline semiconductor ZnS hierarchical nanostructures.