Sintering of a ZnS-SnO2 mixture under argon flow leads to the growth of columnar nanoplate arrays as well as arrays of nanowires, nanorods and nanoplates with six-fold symmetry. The six-fold nanoplate structures correspond to a more advanced stage of growth than the nanowire structures. Cathodoluminescence (CL) in the scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows that the structures contain Sri, but the amount of this element is normally under the detection limit of X-ray energy-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The formation of branches in the hierarchical structures depends on the presence of Sri and on defects in the Mixture powder. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.