Zigzag SnO2 nanobelts have been synthesized by evaporating tin grain in air. XRD, SEM, and TEM were employed to characterize the prepared samples. SEM images showed large amounts of zigzag nanobelts with periodic morphology. XRD result showed a pure tetragonal SnO2 phase. HRTEM and SAED revealed a single crystal structure with [010] zone axis on the whole zigzag zone. The zigzag structure is deduced to be formed by shifting the growth direction from [101] to [10] or vice versa. Growing nanobelts along different equivalent directions opens a new avenue for the preparation of novel nanostructured materials.

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In this study, in order to improve mechanical properties of cotton fabrics, nano-micro sized calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ) was deposited in situ on cotton fabrics. The mechanical properties, surface morphology, crystalline index, infrared spectrum, thermal property, and wettability of the deposited fabrics were measured and discussed. The results showed that the breaking strength of cotton fabric increased by about 10% after in situ deposition of nano-micro calcium carbonate. After ultrasonic washing, the strength of cotton fabric deposited CaCO 3 was still increased by about 10%. The crystallinity of the cotton fabric deposited with calcium carbonate increased from 76% to 84%. The hydrogen bond between cellulose molecules and calcium carbonate was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy. The hydrophilicity and thermal properties of cotton fabric were not significantly influenced by calcium carbonate deposition. This provides a new idea for improving the mechanical properties of cotton fabric.breaking strength, cotton fiber, crystalline index, nano-micro calcium carbonate | INTRODUCTIONCotton is a rich natural source of cellulose polysaccharide. Cotton fabric is favored because of its excellent wearing comfort, breathability, and dyeability. 1,2 However, the low strength of cotton fabrics may have certain impact on their wearability. The main methods used to improve the strength of cellulose materials are alkali treatment 3 and nanoparticle coating. 4 Among these, alkali treatment is the most widely used method. The tensile strength of natural fibers, such as hemp fibers, 5 okra fibers, 6 and Juncus effusus fibers, 7 improved after alkali treatment. 8