TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INSTRUMENTATION AND TESTING - Preferred Components: The surface of the tip region comprises: six tip facets, where each tip facet corresponding to a crystallographic plane of the form (10-11), (01-11), (-1101), (-1011), (0-111) or (1-101); and six tip edge regions, where each tip edge region is located between two tip facets and comprising a crystallographic plane of the form (2-1-12) or (-2112). The surface of the central region and/or the tip region comprises many pits. The length of each rod is 1-6 microns. The width of the central region of each rod is 0.1-2 microns. The rod further comprises a base region opposite the tip region, and the base regions of the rods are conjoined.    TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - ORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Components: The first additive is benzyl alcohol or 4-substituted benzyl alcohol. The ratio of benzyl alcohol or substituted benzyl alcohol to zinc is 2-6. The second additive is urea. The ratio of urea to zinc is 0.25-0.5. The alcohol solvent is methanol, ethanol or propyl alcohol and the concentration of zinc ion in the solution is 0.01-1 mol/l. The gas further comprises oxygen. The ratio of hydrogen to carbon dioxide is 2.5-4. The concentration of carbon monoxide in the gas mixture is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 20%. Preferred Method: In the method of decomposing methanol, the methanol is contacted with the zinc oxide structure at 25-150 degrees C for 0.1-10 hours. EXAMPLE - Zinc nitrate (18 g) was dissolved in absolute methanol (200 ml). Then urea (1.8 g) and benzyl alcohol (13 g) were added to the mixture in the ratio zinc nitrate:urea:benzyl alcohol of 1:0.5:2. The reaction mixture was stirred for 1 hour and the mixture was purged with argon (7500 torr) for 5 times. The mixture was heated to 200 degrees C for 5 hours, and then to 265 degrees C and maintained at the same temperature for 1.5 hours. The dry grey powder was collected and calcined with a ramp rate of 3 degrees C/minute to 500 degrees C and then maintained at 500 degrees C for 6 hours, to give flower-like zinc oxide structure.