Controlled growth of well-faceted zigzag tin oxide mesostructures

Reproducibly high-yield growth of zigzag fibers and well-faceted nanobelts of SnO 2 was achieved via tuning the reactant vapor. The investigation of the morphological evolution via scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy hints that the formation of the zigzag SnO 2 fiber is based on the pregrowing SnO 2 nanobelt. The elucidation of the growth mechanism should provide a fully controlled route for reproducibly high-yield growth of zigzag fibers of SnO 2 and give some valuable hints to synthesis other zigzag mesostructures. Optical characterizations of these structures show very weak defect-related emissions.