A hydrothermal method was used to synthesize new types of vanadium oxide belts exhibiting a boomerang shape. Scanning force microscopy and transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed a layered structure closely corresponding to that in known V2O5 nanofibers. Most strikingly, selected area electron diffraction provided clear evidence that the unique structure of the belts originated from twinning along the [130] direction. This result constituted the first observation of twins within individual nano-sized crystals.

Boomerang-Shaped VOx Belts - Twinning within Isolated Nanocrystals. U.Schlecht, M.Knez, V.Duppel, L.Kienle, M.Burghard: Applied Physics A, 2004, 78[4], 527-9