Nucleation and growth of zinc crystals on a liquid surface

Abstract

A catalyst-free preparation method for zinc nanocrystals on a silicone oil surface is developed at room temperature. The growth tendency of one- and two-dimensional zinc crystals, which may be tunable by the deposition rate, can be attributed mainly to the preferential growth characteristics of the crystals. The formation of zinc crystal mounds with nanoscale steps results from both the preferential growth characteristics and strong step-edge barriers. A new aggregation mechanism involving competitive growth among the preferential growth directions is proposed.