One-dimensional (1D) nanostructures, such as semiconductor nanowires, represent the smallest dimension for efficient transport of electrons and excitons, and thus offer the promise (as the building blocks) of fabricating future nano-electronic and nano-optoelectronic devices. However, the nanodevice technology is directly driven and constrained by the advance or lack of in nanomaterials, which requires us to be able to grow 1D nanostructures with controllable morphology, dimensionality, composition, doping, crystallinity, and orientation. This presentation will provide an overview of our effort on the controlled growth of 1D nanostructures. First, the growth of nanowires via a catalyst-driven vapor-liquid-solid (VLS) process will be described with an emphasis on exploring new catalysts (Ge and Ga) for growing oxide nanowires (ZnO and SiO_x). Second, the discovery and synthesis of semiconducting oxide nanobelts by a simple thermal evaporation and condensation method will be discussed with a focus on ZnO nanobelts. Third, recent effort on the growth of complex ZnO nano/micro hybrid structures (including ZnO combs and ZnO styluses) that embody both nanoscale and microscale features will be introduced and their properties and application perspectives will be discussed. In this talk, a lot of beautiful SEM and TEM images will be presented, which are expected to give the audience a feeling that the growth of nanomaterials is not only a science but also an art.

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