Synthesis, Structure and Growth Mechanism of ZnS Nanowires with High Aspect Ratio

ZnS nanowires were successfully synthesized through the direct reaction of Zn and S vapor via carbon-assisted chemical evaporation deposition method with Au catalyst. The investigations indicated that the size of ZnS nanowires with a diameter of approximately 40 nm was uniform along the axis of the wire and the surfaces were slick. The ZnS nanowire with a hexagonal wurtzite structure was a typical single crystalline structure. HRTEM and SEAD results demonstrated that the nanowire grew along [100] direction, which was different from the common direction reported in literatures. The growth of nanowires was controlled by vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) mechanism.