Interfacial Atomic Structure of BiOx Functionalized ZnO Nanowires

One-dimensional nanostructures have been intensively investigated due to their unique properties and widespread applications. In particular, multifunctional properties can be derived from complex nanoscale systems consisting of heterostructures. With a wide band gap of 3.37eV, semiconducting ZnO materials find wide applications in energy harvesting and storage, catalysis, and optoelectronics [1]. On the other hand, Bi2O3, with an energy band gap of 2.85 eV, high refractive index, and extremely high oxygen-ion conductivity, can be used for sensors, optical coatings and photovoltaic cells [2]. It is expected that the nanoscale heterostructures consisting of these two oxides will provide unique properties. Following our previous study on the synthesis of BiOx coated ZnO nanowires (NWs) [3], we report here our investigation of the interfacial atomic structures of BiOx functionalized ZnO NWs with the goal to tune their nanoscale architectures for targeted applications.