Tetrapod-like particles having 4 legs that were shorter than a micrometre were observed by means of transmission electron microscopy and electron diffractometry. The particles were composed of 6 or more wurtzite-type elements. Four of them constituted legs, and others formed (11•2) twins with the legs. Particles which were composed of only 4 wurtzite-type legs were also observed to form three (11•4) twins among them. A growth model was proposed in which the tetrapod-like oxide particle grew from wurtzite-type multiple twins which were introduced into a zincblende-type nucleus, and account was taken of the combined slips which occurred during phase transformation.

Structure and Growth Mechanism of Tetrapod-Like ZnO Particles. Nishio, K., Isshiki, T., Kitano, M., Shiojiri, M.: Philosophical Magazine A, 1997, 76[4], 889-904