Synthesis of CdS nanoparticles in water/DMF medium: an investigation on the effect of time and microwave irradiation

Abstract

Nanostructured semiconductors are a pillar of the newly developed ‘artificial photosynthesis’ field of research. Cadmium sulfide is amongst the most studied semiconductors due to its suitable band structure which can utilize a sizable portion of the visible part of solar irradiation. Additionally, the band energies of this material are perfect for carrying out photochemical reactions in the aqueous medium. A wide variety of methods have been considered with the purpose of morphology engineering for this material. Herein, we report a simple yet rapid method for the synthesis of CdS nanoparticles in the realm of quantum confinement without using additives for particle growth suppression. In-situ UV–Vis spectrophotometry was used to study the formation and growth of CdS nanoparticles over time. Furthermore, the particles were characterized by XRD, XPS, DRS, FESEM, EDS, and TEM and a possible reaction mechanism has been postulated.