Zn2SnO4 （ZTO） nanowires with a unique dendritic nanostructure were synthesized via a simple one-step thermal evaporation and condensation process. The morphology and microstructure of the ZTO nanodendrite have been investigated by means of field emission scanning electron microscopy （SEM）, x-ray diffraction （XRD） and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy （HRTEM）. SEM observation revealed the formation of branched nanostructures and showed that each branch exhibited a unique periodic structure formed by a row of overlaid rhombohedra of ZTO nanocrystals along the axis of the nanobranch. HRTEM studies displayed that the branches grew homoepitaxially as single-crystalline nanowires from the ZTO nanowire backbone. A possible growth model of the branched ZTO nanowires is discussed. To successfully prepare branched structures would provide an opportunity for both fundamental research and practical applications, such as three-dimensional nanoelectronics, and opto-electronic nanodevices.
Field emission from single-walled carbon nanotube （SWNT） nonwoven has been investigated under high vacuum with different vacuum gaps, A low turn-on electric field of 1.05 V/μm is required to reach an emission current density of 10μA/cm^2. An emission current density of 10 mA/cm^2 is obtained at an operating electric field of 1.88V/μm. No current saturation is found even at an emission current of 5 mA. With the vacuum gap increasing from 1 to 10 mm, the turn-on field decreases monotonically from 1.21 to 0.68 V/μm, while the field amplification is augmented. The good field-emission behaviour is ascribed to the combined effects of the intrinsic field emission of SWNT and the waved topography of the nonwoven.
