A simple approach for the formation of oxides, sulfides, and oxide-sulfide hybrid nanostructures

The synthesis of various types of metal oxide and metal sulfide nanostructures through the thermal decomposition of single-source molecular precursors is presented. By varying the reaction conditions, such as solvent, precursor concentration, temperature, and time, we were able to control the shape of Fe₃O₄ (rectangles and belt-like structures), CoO nanofibers, and SnO₂ nanowires. Two sulfides are also presented: CdS filling a vertically aligned ZnO nanowire array (to create a hybrid structure) and SnS wires. The formation of various phases of iron oxide and cobalt oxide is also shown.