Synchronous Formation of ZnO/ZnS Core/Shell Nanotube Arrays with Removal of Template for Meliorating Photoelectronic Performance

We report herein an innovative approach to remove the anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template completely without any further treatments, just through a subsequent sulfidation process to convert ZnO/AAO nanotubes to ZnO/ZnS core/shell nanotubes. The sulfidation treatment to attain well-ordered ZnO/ZnS core/shell arrays was conducted using a developed rapid thermal deposition methodology at low temperatures. During the sulfidation conversion process, the renowned Kirkendall effect was demonstrated to be responsible for the magic reactions. In addition, the sample maintained the well-ordered morphology without any deterioration after AAO template removal. The yielded nanostructures possessed a nice crystalline quality and superior optical and photoelectronic performances over the counterpart, ZnO/AAO. Thus, this technique broadens the possibility of fabricating well-ordered tubular core/shell structures with various compositions for multiple applications.