Cross-like architectures of SnO constructed from single crystalline plates were prepared by thermal decomposition of tetraphenyltin. The crosses are mainly constructed from single crystalline plates with plate surfaces either {0 0 1} or {1 1 0}. The mechanism for the formation of crosses in both cases is growth twinning, close to 90 degrees, with {1 1 2} twin planes. (C) 2009 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.