Crystallography of Novel T-Shaped ZnS Nanostructures and Their Cathodoluminescence

Novel T-shaped ZnS nanostructures are synthesized through simple ZnS powder evaporation. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and electron diffraction (ED) analyses demonstrate that the structures are composed of a bicrystalline base sheet (010)/(102)/(010)* and a protruding thick wire. The two structural domains are connected along the twin boundary on the (102) plane. Cathodoluminescence measurements show that the T-shaped ZnS nanostructures exhibit three clear emission zones in the ranges of 380-550 nm, 550-760 nm, and 760-1000 nm, whereas the band gap emission is not observed. Finally, the related optical emission mechanism is discussed based on the TEM results.