One-step vapor deposition of ZnO nanowires/MgO film composite structures

•Practically important characteristics of the composite structures on the basis of ZnO nanocrystals are largely dependent on the specific area and the quality of of the grain boundaries.•The advantage of this method of synthesis is a continuous process of growth ZnO nanorods and their further covering with MgO film, thereby avoiding getting to the phase boundaries of the adsorbed molecules from the ambient atmosphere.

The composite structures consisting of aligned ZnO nanorod arrays, coated with a MgO film on glass or silicon substrates were obtained by one step vapor phase oxidation of magnesium and zinc. Depending on the conditions of synthesis either arrays of rods with a core–shell structure or layers in which almost all the space between the rods is filled with magnesium oxide were obtained.