Growth of zinc hollow nanofibers and nanotubes by thermal evaporation-condensation-deposition route

Highly crystalline zinc hollow nanofibers are synthesised via evaporation-condensation-deposition process. Zinc granules are thermally evaporated within a quartz reactor flowing nitrogen equipped with a furnace. Nucleation of zinc vapours is produced at the exit of the furnace by fast expansion and cooling through a nozzle in a flowing nitrogen atmosphere. Fibers with a diameter 20 to 120 nm, depending on the operating furnace temperature Tvap, and length several microns, are deposited as fluffy bundles on the walls of the expansion nozzle. They exhibit a hollow morphology, as revealed by TEM analysis. Some new structures, we say nanoclubs, diameter 40-90 nm and typical length less than 300 nm, are also observed in correspondence of lower T_vap.