Fabrication of Zn/ZnO nanocables by thermal oxidation of Zn nanowires grown by RF magnetron sputtering is reported. Single crystalline Zn nanowires could be grown by controlling supersaturation of source material through the adjustment of temperature and Zn RF power. X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy showed that surfaces of these Zn nanowires, grown along the [0 10] direction, gradually oxidized inward the Zn core to form coaxial Zn/ZnO nanocables in the subsequent oxidation at 200 degrees C. In the Zn/ZnO nanocable, epitaxial relations of [100](Zn)//[100](ZnO), and (001)(Zn)//(001)(ZnO) existed at the interface between the Zn core and ZnO shell. A number of dislocations were also observed in the interface region of the Zn/ZnO nanocable, which are attributed to largo differences in the lattice constants of Zn and ZnO. With further increasing the oxidation temperature over 400 degrees C, Zn nanowires were completely oxidized to form polycrystalline ZnO nanowires. The results in this study suggest that coaxial Zn/ZnO nanocable can be fabricated through controlled thermal oxidation of Zn nanowires, yielding various cross-sectional areal fractions of Zn core and ZnO shell. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.