Synthesis and characterization of ZnS nanowires with zinc blende structure

ZnS single-crystal nanowires were successfully synthesized on a silicon substrate with the assistance of NiS nanoparticles via a simple CVD method. The as-synthesized ZnS nanowires were 200 nm in average diameter and 25 μm in length, with zinc blende structure growing along the orientation of <111>. With PL spectrum, a strong emission centered at 437.2 nm was observed, which reveals that the higher optical quality of ZnS nanowires. A possible combined growth mechanism of redox reaction and VLS was proposed to understand the growth of the ZnS nanowires.