Morphology-tuned wurtzite-type ZnS nanobelts.
Nanometre-sized inorganic dots, wires and belts have a wide range of electrical and optical properties, and variable mechanical stability and phase-transition mechanisms that show a sensitive dependency on size, shape and structure. The optical properties of the semiconductor ZnS in wurtzite structures are considerably enhanced, but the lack of structural stability limits technological applications. Here, we demonstrate that morphology-tuned wurtzite ZnS nanobelts show a particular low-energy surface structure dominated by the +/-[210] surface facets. Experiments and calculations show that the morphology of ZnS nanobelts leads to a very high mechanical stability to approximately 6.8 GPa, and also results in an explosive mechanism for the wurtzite-to-sphalerite phase transformation together with in situ fracture of the nanobelts. ZnS wurtzite nanobelts provide a model that is useful not only for understanding the morphology-tuned stability and transformation mechanism, but also for improving synthesis of metastable nanobelts with quantum effects for electronic and optical devices.
Wang
Zhongwu
Z
Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA. z_wang@lanl.gov
Daemen
Luke L
LL
Zhao
Yusheng
Y
Zha
C S
CS
Downs
Robert T
RT
Wang
Xudong
X
Wang
Zhong Lin
ZL
Hemley
Russell J
RJ
D001274:Atmospheric Pressure; D049329:Nanostructures / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology; D011789:Quantum Theory; D012666:Semiconductors; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission; D013440:Sulfides / Q000737:chemistry*; D013499:Surface Properties; D013816:Thermodynamics; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D017967:Zinc Compounds / Q000737:chemistry*
D013440:Sulfides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C031238:zinc sulfide