| Abstract
| - ZnO nanowires with unusual growth directions, such as the approximate 〈102〉 and the 〈100〉 directions, wereprepared by using the LiCl molten salt synthetic method. Intrinsic crystallographic structures and the growthdirections of the as-prepared ZnO nanowires were investigated by using selected area electron diffractionand high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. In the present case, Li+ and Cl- ions of molten saltsmay bind with O2- and Zn2+ ions, respectively, of the {101} and {001} polar surfaces of the ZnO crystals,resulting in the decrease of their surface energies and tuning the growth directions by blocking the growth onthe polar surfaces. A combination of the growth along the 〈102〉, 〈100〉, and 〈210〉 directions may lead to theformation of complex tree like ZnO dendrites. Strong green light emission was observed from room-temperaturePL spectra of the as-prepared ZnO nanowires. This molten-salt synthetic process could be extended to synthesizeother kinds of unusual 1D nanomaterials with specific crystal structures and properties.
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