Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.131, No.34, 12036-12036, 2009
Facet-Selective Epitaxial Growth of Heterogeneous Nanostructures of Semiconductor and Metal: ZnO Nanorods on Ag Nanocrystals
We demonstrate a new approach for synthesizing Ag-ZnO heterogeneous nanostructures in which single-crystalline ZnO nanorods were selectively grown on {111} rather than {100} facets of single-crystalline Ag truncated nanocubes. We have identified the fine structure of the Ag-ZnO heterostructures and proposed a mechanism indicating that structure match plays a critically important role in this type of facet-selective growth. These heterogeneous nanostructures are of special interest and have potential applications in electrical contacts, functional devices, biological sensors, and catalysis.