ZnO Nanowires: Growth, Properties, and Energy Applications

As a biocompatible semiconductor composed of abundant elements, ZnO, in the form of nanowires, exhibits remarkable properties, mainly originating from its wurtzite structure and correlated with its high aspect ratio at nanoscale dimensions. ZnO nanowires have thus received increasing interest in the community and have specifically emerged as a potential building block for a wide variety of devices in the field of energy conversion. Among the different energy conversion applications, ZnO nanowires have, to name just two examples, been integrated into nanostructured solar cells and piezoelectric devices. Despite the vast number of publications in the field, there is still a significant need to explore the growth of ZnO nanowires, to more precisely elucidate and control their fundamental properties, and to improve their integration into real-world engineering devices. This Special Issue brings together more than 80 authors from different countries, who submitted 11 original research articles conveying their foundational research dedicated to ZnO nanowires. Overall, if the present Special Issue cannot fully reflect the high diversity rapidly developing in the community of ZnO nanowires, it will certainly contribute to research interest in the field.