Morphology and optical properties of ternary Zn-Sn-O semiconductor nanowires with catalyst-free growth

► Zn2SnO4 nanowires with various morphologies were successfully synthesized by thermal evaporation. ► The as-synthesized Zn2SnO4 nanowires have a face-centered cubic crystal structure. ► Thermal annealing of Zn2SnO4 nanowires changes the properties of the visible emission band.