Single-crystalline and twinned Zn₃P₂ nanowires: Synthesis, characterization, and electronic properties

We describe the synthesis of zigzag-shaped single-crystalline or twinned Zn₃P₂ nanowires via a thermochemical method. The single-crystalline nanowires possessed two different kinds of kink angles and were formed via a vapor-solid process by using ZnS and GaP as source materials, whereas the twinned nanowires were synthesized via a vapor-liquid-solid process under additional introduction of In₂S₃ nanoparticles as the catalyst precursors. The products were characterized in detail by using X-ray diffraction, a scanning electron microscope, and a transmission electron microscope equipped with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectrometer. Field-effect transistors based on individual zigzag nanowires were fabricated and their electronic transport at different temperatures was analyzed. The results showed that these unusual structures are p-type semiconductors and that the thermal activation with a 49.7 meV energy is the dominant transport mechanism.