Oxidation of a ZnS nanobelt into a ZnO nanotwin belt or double single-crystalline ZnO nanobelts

Single-crystalline wurtzite ZnS nanobelts are synthesized by the vapor phase transport (VPT) process. When oxidized, a single-crystalline ZnS nanobelt turns into a ZnO nanotwin belt containing two twinning parts with a sharp and clear edge, which is a (0001) twinning plane parallel to and running through the length direction. The two twinning parts in a ZnO nanotwin belt have the same crystalline direction, [0001], along their width, and the [0110] and [1120] crystalline directions along the length direction. On some ZnO nanobelts, nanovoids appear along the twinning planes and when those nanovoids connect with each other, one original ZnS nanobelt can divide into two single-crystalline ZnO nanobelts with quite clear edges. (C) 2003 Published by Elsevier Ltd.