Shape evolution and applications in water purification: the case of CVD-grown Zn2SiO4 straw-bundles

3-D straw-bundle-like Zn2SiO4 architectures assembled from numerous radial nanowires were synthesized by a simple thermal evaporation method using ZnCl2 powder as reactant. The growth process was studied in detail and a “nanorods-to-straw-bundles-to-spheres” mechanism was proposed for the nanostructures synthesized from the vapor process. The application of the Zn2SiO4 straw bundles for the removal of toxic metal ions in water, FeIII and CdII in this case, was investigated and the results indicate that the amount of FeIII and CdII adsorbed onto the surface of the Zn2SiO4 straw bundles increased with the increase of pH values, and the Zn2SiO4 nanostructures showed better removal capacity for FeIII ions than CdII ions.