In this work, the solvent coordination molecular template effect of EN has been discussed in detail based on the microscopy analysis of the as synthesized ZnS nanostructures. As the EN concentration increases, the ZnS products evolve from symmetric NPs, 3D TPs to 1D NBs, accompanied with the microstructure transition from isotropic ZB to anisotropic WZ. The role of EN is significant in aspects of both the reaction rate control and the anisotropic growth activation due to the coordination effect between its amino groups and Zn atoms. Moreover, this modulation effect has been proved to be general for other short carbon-chain amine agents by the contrast experiments. The designed organic amine modulated solvothermal strategy could be utilized for controlled synthesis of other cubichexagonal combined II–VI nanostructures.

Ultrathin ZnS nanobelts were assembled by ultrasmall nanocrystals with oriented self assembly, which were then transformed into their single-crystal counterparts by thermal treatment in N2. ZnO/ZnS heterostructures were also obtained at elevated temperature in open air, where well aligned ZnO nanocones were grown along the ZnS nanobelts with a definite rientation relationship described as 0001 ZnS 0001 ZnO and 101¯0 ZnS 101¯0 ZnO. Mixed transition and tuned band gaps of the heterostructure were experimentally observed, which was in good agreement with the theoretical predications and can be interpreted based on the model of a strained staggered type-II band structure. © 2010 American Institute of Physics.

In this work, we present a facile approach on the remarkable enhancement of fluorescent signal by heterostructure colloidal photonic crystals (PCs) with dual stopbands. The intensity of fluorescent medium on heterostructure PCs with dual stopbands overlapping the excitation wavelength and the emission wavelength of fluorescent medium can be up to 162-fold enhancement in comparison to that on the control sample. Otherwise, parameters of heterostructure PC films such as film thickness or stacking order have important effects on fluorescent signals. The method will be of great significance for developing the highly sensitive fluorescence-based detection.

In this paper, flower-, star-, and chain-like hierarchically nanostructured nickel crystals as well as [Ni(N2H4)2]Cl2 nanorods were first synthesized by a simple reduction method. This method is template-free, environmentally benign, and can be carried out at low temperature (60 °C) with high efficiency on a large scale. Investigation of the growth kinetics has proved that the crystal sizes are sensitive to the reaction temperature and reaction time. Various nickel nanostructures can be achieved by the oriented growth of preferred nickel crystal planes. The magnetic properties of the flower-like nickel nanocrystals were also characterized with the results of much enhanced coercivity (Hc) and decreased saturation magnetization (Ms).