Vapor–Solid–Solid Growth Mechanism Driven by Epitaxial Match between Solid AuZn Alloy Catalyst Particles and ZnO Nanowires at Low Temperatures

Abstract

A comprehensive explanation for the precise mechanism of ZnO nanowire growth at low temperatures (T < 400 °C) is presented. Experimental data and theoretical considerations evidence that ZnO nanowires originate from solid γ-AuZn catalyst particles. A model is proposed to describe such growth. An original feature of the model concerns the formation of nanowire, which occurs via preferential oxidation of specific γ-AuZn surfaces induced by epitaxial-like growth mechanism.