Epitaxy of single-crystalline zigzag tin dioxide nanobelts

Ultra-long (several millimeters) single-crystalline zigzag tin dioxide nanobelts growing along the [101] crystal direction were prepared by a chemical vapor transport epitaxy (CVTE) method at 850°C. The product was characterized using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and an X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS). Studies indicate that the zigzag nanobelts are single tetragonal SnO₂ crystals with a width of hundreds of nanometers. The optical property was also investigated by the photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The possible formation mechanism of these ultra-long zigzag-like nanobelts was proposed on the basis of experiments.