Submicrosized rods, cables, and tubes of ZnE (E = S, Se, Te): exterior-interior boron-chalcogen conversions and optical properties.

The submicrosized ZnE rods, ZnO/ZnE cables, and ZnE tubes (E = S, Se, Te) have been synthesized via exterior-to-interior boron-chalcogen corrosions on the initial ZnO rods. The products are well characterized by XRD, SEM, TEM, and elemental analyses. The morphologies of both ZnE rods and ZnO/ZnE cables are roughly comparable to that of ZnO. The measured optical gaps of the ZnE rods are in agreement with those of the corresponding bulk materials, and the ZnO/ZnE cables exhibit type-I excitonic localization that is restrained in the region of the narrower band gap component.