Temperature-dependent growth mechanism and microstructure of ZnO nanostructures grown from the thermal oxidation of zinc

• ZnO forms bicrystalline nanowires from oxidation below the melting point of Zn.
• ZnO forms single crystalline nanowires between the melting and boiling points of Zn.
• ZnO forms tetrapods for oxidation above the boiling point of Zn.
• Temperature-dependent oxidation mechanism of Zn causes ZnO morphological variation.

We report a detailed study on the growth morphologies and microstructure of ZnO nanostructures formed from the oxidation of Zn at different temperatures. ZnO shows bicrystalline nanowire morphology for oxidation below the melting point of Zn, and single-crystalline morphology between the melting and boiling points of Zn, and tetrapod morphology above the boiling point of Zn. The morphological and microstructural variations are attributed to the temperature-dependent oxide growth mechanisms, i.e., the oxidation below the melting point of Zn is dominated by a solid–solid transformation process, a liquid–solid process between the melting and boiling points of Zn, and a vapor–solid process above the boiling point of Zn. The understanding of the oxide growth mechanisms from these results may have practical implications for rational control of the morphology, crystallinity, preferential growth directions, shape and aspect ratio of ZnO nanostructures