Cadmium Sulfide Nanowires Research Articles

Optical properties of CdS micro/nanocrystalline structures prepared via a thermal evaporation method

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) micro/nanocrystalline structures were fabricated by thermal evaporation in the absence of a catalyst on ITO-coated glass and Si(100) substrates. The samples prepared at 520°C showed two structures of CdS: nanowires (NWs) and necklace-like microstructures grown on Si(111) and ITO substrates, respectively. The crystalline structures of the grown CdS necklace-like microstructures and NWs were studied using XRD analysis. The CdS necklaces and NWs structures were formed with hexagonal (wurtzite) structure. Two emission bands (green and red) were observed in the photoluminescence spectra of the prepared samples. The green PL emission in both structures showed a strong blue-shift compared with the optical band gap of CdS. Raman spectra of the grown CdS micro/nanocrystalline structures show redshift in the fundamental (1LO) and overtone (2LO) peaks location compared with Raman bands of bulk CdS.

Single CdS nanowire photodetector fabricated by FIB

In this paper, a photodetector based on single cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowire was fabricated using focused ion beam (FIB) technique. The nanowire manipulation, transferring and electrode fabrication process by the FIB and its influence on the photodetector performance were studied. CdS nanowire was synthesized by Vapor–Phase–Transport (VPT) method. CdS powder was thermally evaporated at 950°C in the Argon (Ar) gas as the source material. High Resolution Transmission Electron Microscope (HRTEM) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) experiment results showed that the nanowire presented wurtzite CdS structure and good crystal quality. The photoresponse time and recovery time of the photodetector were 150ms and 53ms, respectively. The photosensitivity was 2.83, and the low sensitivity was caused by the deposition of Ga on the surface of the nanowire and electrode gap during the FIB fabricating process.

Solvothermal growth of single-crystal CdS nanowires

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires (NWs) were prepared by the solvothermal method using ethylenediamine as a solvent. Two sets of CdS NWs were synthesized at 160 and 200 °C for various reaction durations (3⋅5, 7, and 24 h). Scanning/tunneling electron microscopy was used to examine the surface morphology of the grown NWs. Their dimensions are found to depend on the reaction temperature and duration. The CdS NWs grown at 200 °C for all durations are longer than those prepared at 160 °C, with diameters ranging from 15 to 40 nm. A three-armed structure is exhibited by all the samples. The grown CdS NWs display a hexagonal wurtzite phase and grows along the \(\mathbf {\left \langle {001}\right \rangle }\) direction. The optical absorption of the grown NWs shows a sharp absorption edge with a blueshift, which indicates an expansion of the optical band gap. All prepared samples show two emission peaks in their photoluminescence spectra. The emission peak location depends on the reaction temperature and duration. The CdS NWs prepared at 160 °C show a sharp band–band emission compared with those prepared at 200 °C. Raman analysis indicates that the optical properties of the grown NWs are enhanced with increased temperature and reaction duration.

Effect of growth parameters on structural and optical properties of CdS nanowires prepared by polymer controlled solvothermal route

Cadmium sulfide nanowires were successfully obtained via a poly (ethylene glycol)-assisted solvothermal route. In this procedure, cadmium nitrate and thiourea were used as Cd and S sources, respectively, and polyethylene glycol 400 was used as an inducing soft template to control the one-dimensional growth of CdS nanostructures. The effects of different growth parameters in the solvothermal process such as type of the solvents, reaction time, and temperature on the morphology, structural and optical properties of the products were investigated. The provided structures were characterized by X-ray diffractometery, scanning electron microscopy, and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The results show that the as-prepared samples have hexagonal phase and grow into long nanowire shape with increasing the reaction time, temperature and volume ratios of ethylenediamine (en) to H2O. Uniform sized nanowires with the average diameter of 75 nm and the average length of 2.5 µm were obtained using ethylenediamine solvent at 170 °C for 3 days.

Plasmon–Exciton Interactions in Hybrid Structures of Au Nanohemispheres and CdS Nanowires for Improved Photoconductive Devices

We developed a method to prepare photoconductive channels of hybrid nanostructures based on Au nanohemispheres (Au NHs) and cadmium sulfide nanowires (CdS NWs) for photoconductive applications. The hybrid nanostructures exhibited enhanced absorbance, which was attributed to the strong electronic coupling between plasmons in Au NHs and excitons in CdS NWs. The photoconductive channels based on the hybrid nanostructures showed an increase in photocurrent level by ∼5× compared to bare CdS NWs. Because our strategy can be utilized to improve the photoconductivity of quite versatile photoconductive channels, it can be a powerful method for the development of various advanced optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices.

Strain-Induced Large Exciton Energy Shifts in Buckled CdS Nanowires

Strain engineering can be utilized to tune the fundamental properties of semiconductor materials for applications in advanced electronic and photonic devices. Recently, the effects of large strain on the properties of nanostructures are being intensely investigated to further expand our insights into the physics and applications of such materials. In this Letter, we present results on controllable buckled cadmium-sulfide (CdS) optical nanowires (NWs), which show extremely large energy bandgap tuning by >250 meV with applied strains within the elastic deformation limit. Polarization and spatially resolved optical measurements reveal characteristics related to both compressive and tensile regimes, while microreflectance spectroscopy clearly demonstrates the effect of strain on the different types of excitons in CdS. Our results may enable strained NWs-based optoelectronic devices with tunable optical responses.

Continuous Wave Nanowire Lasing

Tin-doped cadmium sulfide nanowires reveal donor-acceptor pair transitions at low-temperature photoluminescence and furthermore exhibit ideal resonator morphology appropriate for lasing at continuous wave pumping. The continuous wave lasing mode is proven by the evolution of the emitted power and spectrum with increasing pump intensity. The high temperature stability up to 120 K at given pumping power is determined by the decreasing optical gain necessary for lasing in an electron-hole plasma.

Switching of ferroelectric liquid crystal doped with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide-assisted CdS nanostructures

Large scale high yield cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires with uniform diameter were synthesized using a rapid and simple solvo-chemical and hydrothermal route assisted by the surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Unique CdS nanowires of different morphologies could be selectively produced by only varying the concentration of CTAB in the reaction system with cadmium acetate, sulfur powder and ethylenediamine. We obtained CdS nanowires with diameters of 64–65 nm and lengths of up to several micrometers. A comparative study of the optical properties of ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) Felix-017/100 doped with 1% of CdS nanowires was performed. Response times of the order of from 160 to 180 μs, rotational viscosities of the order of from 5000 to 3000 mN s m−2 and polarizations of the order of from 10 to 70 nC cm−2 were measured. We also observed an anti-ferroelectric to ferroelectric transition for CdS doped FLC instead of the ferroelectric to paraelectric transition for pure FLC.

Growth of CdS nanosheets and nanowires through the solvothermal method

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanocrystalline structures were grown through the solvothermal method at various temperatures (100, 120, 160, and 200°C) for 7h using ethylenediamine as the solvent. Two different CdS nanostructures were prepared: nanosheets were prepared at 100 and 120°C and nanowires at 160 and 200°C. The nanowire diameter ranged a few tens of nanometers, and the length reached several micrometers. The grown nanosheets and nanowires had a hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure, as estimated from the X-ray diffraction pattern analysis. The growth direction of the nanowires grown at 160 and 200°C was along <001>. The optical band gaps of the CdS nanosheets prepared at 100 and 120°C were 3.25 and 2.42eV, respectively, and 2.55 and 2.59eV for the nanowires prepared at 160 and 200°C, respectively. The photoluminescence spectra of the prepared nanostructures were analyzed. Results revealed that emission peak location and intensity depend on structure type and morphology. A single sharp emission peak at 480nm was observed for the CdS nanowire grown at 200°C, which was close to the absorption band edge.

Efficient Charge Extraction out of Nanoscale Schottky Contacts to CdS Nanowires

Charge recombination dynamics in semiconductor nanostructures is of vital importance for photovoltaic or photodetector device applications. We use local photocurrent measurements to explore spatially separated drift- and diffusion-currents close to the edge of gold contacts on top of cadmium sulfide nanowires. By theoretical modeling of the experimental photocurrent profiles, the electron diffusion length and lifetime in the wires are obtained to 0.8 μm and 1 ns, respectively. In contrast to bulk devices, the nanoscale dimensions of the involved Schottky contacts enable a highly efficient charge carrier extraction from below the electrodes. This finding paves the way for designing nanostructured optoelectronic devices of improved performance.

Aligned networks of cadmium sulfidenanowires for highly flexible photodetectors with improved photoconductive responses

We developed a simple but efficient method to mass-produce highly flexible and high-performance photodetectors based on aligned cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowire (NW) networks. In this method, the CdS NWs were selectively aligned along the molecular patterns on flexible substrates via a direct assembly method, and the aligned CdS NW patterns were utilized as the channels of flexible photodetectors. The photodetectors based on the aligned CdS NWs exhibited ∼10 times higher photosensitivity and ∼100 times faster photoresponse than those based on randomly oriented NW networks. In addition, the flexible photodetectors exhibited stable photoconductive characteristics even when these were bent down to the radius of curvature of 0.2 mm. This research may pave the way for the large-scale fabrication of low-cost and high performance flexible photodetectors based on the aligned NW networks.

Photo-enhanced field electron emission of cadmium sulfide nanowires

The response of field electron emission of cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires (NWs) to visible light has been investigated. It is found that, upon light illumination, the turn-on voltage drops, emission current increases obviously, and the Fowler-Nordheim behavior deviates from a straight line. A process of field emission coupled with semiconducting properties of CdS NWs is proposed. Photon-excited electron transition from the valence band to the conductance band of CdS nanowires increases the quantity of emitting electrons, and the photoemission decreases the effective work function of CdS emitters, which largely enhances the field emission performance. The response of field emission of CdS NWs to light illumination suggests an approach for tuning field emission of semiconductor emitters.

A facile strategy for the fabrication of uniform CdS nanowires with high yield and its controlled morphological growth with the assistance of PEG in hydrothermal route

A series of novel wurtzite cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanowires with uniform diameter were synthesized by using a rapid and simple solvothermal route. CdS nano structures with certain morphology could be selectively produced by only varying the concentration of poly ethylene glycol (PEG) as a surfactant in the reaction system with cadmium acetate, sulphur powder and ethelynediamine (EDA). We extensively studied UV–vis absorption spectra, photoluminescence spectra after confirming CdS nanowires with diameter 24–25 nm and length ranging up to several nano meters by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM). Therefore we may definitely propose a new formation mechanism of CdS nanowires assisted by PEG with its illustrating optical properties.

Synthesis of CdS nanowires on Cd foil and their photoluminescence properties

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires were synthesized on Cd foil via a simple solvothermal reaction at 180 °C using thiosemicarbazide as the sulfide source and ethylenediamine as the solvent. The CdS nanowires are hexagonal-phase single crystals with an average diameter of 50 nm and length of several microns. The as-prepared CdS nanowires show an absorption peak of around 483 nm in the absorption spectrum. The CdS nanowires exhibit bright photoluminescence (PL) with two distinct emission bands at 503 nm and 697 nm, which shows that the as-prepared CdS nanowires are high-quality nanocrystals.

Diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone)-assisted solvothermal synthesis and optical properties of one-dimensional CdS nanostructures

One-dimensional (1D) cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanostructures with various aspect ratios were successfully synthesized by a diphenylthiocarbazone (dithizone)-assisted solvothermal method. The results showed that the dithizone-assisted synthesized samples had larger aspect ratio than that prepared in the absence of dithizone, and CdS nanowires with the highest aspect ratio were obtained with an appropriate dithizone amount (0.03 g/50 ml ethylenediamine in the present system). All the 1D CdS nanostructures were in hexagonal wurtzite phase. The as-synthesized large-scale CdS nanowires were in diameters ranging from 70 to 80 nm, length up to 20 μm, and aspect ratios of 250–285. Further characterization indicated that the CdS nanowires were single crystalline with a preferential growth orientation of [0 0 2], c-axis. Two optical absorption peaks were observed at about 488 nm and 502 nm for the CdS nanowire sample with high aspect ratio in the optical absorption spectroscopy, which could be attributed to the nanometer effect of nanowires. It was found that the additive dithizone was a crucial factor in controlling the morphology and optical properties of the 1D CdS nanostructures. The growth mechanism of 1D CdS nanostructure and the effects of dithizone in the present system were discussed.

Directed growth of 1D cadmium sulfide by chemically anchored Al 2O 3 and ZnO nanoparticles

Cadmium sulfide nanowires were synthesized on in-situ generated alumina nanoparticles using a one pot hydrothermal method. As grown hexagonal-phase cadmium sulfide nanowires have diameters ranging from 40 to 50 nm. Mechanistic aspects reveal that the alumina template based growth of cadmium sulfide nanowires is due to the fact that S 2− ions will preferably attach to the aluminum due to the Lewis acidic character of Al 3+ (~ 0.5 on Brown's scale of average Lewis acid strength). To support the proposed mechanism, we have further shown the growth of cadmium sulfide nanowires on zinc ions having similar Lewis acidic strength.

One-dimensional cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanostructures by the solvothermal process: Controlling crystal structure and morphology aided by different solvents

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanowires and nanorods with different aspect ratios were successfully synthesized by the solvothermal method aided with various solvents, namely ethylenediamine, ethanolamine and triethylene tetraamine. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses revealed that, highly pure CdS nanostructures were crystallized with different structures and preferable growth orientations depending on solvent nature. Field emission electron microscope (FE-SEM) images showed that the aspect ratio of CdS nanostructures depends upon the dielectric constant and boiling temperature of solvents. CdS nanostructures with the highest aspect ratio in the form of nanowire were obtained using ethylenediamine, whereas CdS nanorods were produced in the presence of ethanolamine and triethylene tetraamine solvents. The absorption edge of CdS nanowires and nanorods showed a blue shift compared with that of bulk CdS due to an increase in their band gap energies.

Controlling morphology and structure of nanocrystalline cadmium sulfide (CdS) by tailoring solvothermal processing parameters

Cadmium sulfide (CdS) with different morphologies was successfully prepared by solvothermal process by controlling the processing parameters, including nature of precursor and solvent, reaction temperature and process time. X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that, in all cases highly pure and crystallized CdS with hexagonal structure were obtained. In addition, it was found that the processing parameters influence on preferable growth direction of CdS nanostructures. Field emission scanning electron microscope analysis showed that CdS nanowires with different aspect ratios were obtained (depending upon the reaction temperature and process time) in presence of sulfur powder and ethylenediamine, whereas CdS nanoparticles were produced by sulfur powder and ethanolamine. Moreover, CdS nanorods were prepared using thiourea and ethylenediamine. Transmission electron microscope image confirmed that CdS nanowire with one of the highest aspect ratio reported in the literature (i.e., 255) was achieved using sulfur powder and ethylenediamine at 200 °C reaction temperature for 72 h process time. UV–Vis absorption spectra of CdS nanostructures prepared under different conditions displayed a blue shift relative to that of bulk CdS due to the quantum size effect.

Growth of CdS thin films and nanowires for flexible photoelectrochemical cells

In this study, cadmium sulfide (CdS) nanocrystal thin films and nanowires have been deposited onto mechanically flexible substrates via dc-electrodeposition, which is a very suitable technique for large area manufacturing. For the first time with this study, flexible CdS nanocrystal thin films were integrated into photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells and their performances were compared with CdS nanowires. It has been demonstrated that PEC performance of both nanocrystal thin films and nanowires were a strong function of production conditions such as deposition time and voltage. The maximum power conversion efficiency of the CdS nanocrystal thin films obtained in this study was 0.3%. On the other hand, higher efficiencies (about 1.4%) were observed for the CdS nanowires. UV–vis analysis confirmed that both transmittance and band gap energies of the CdS nanowires were lower than that of CdS nanocrystal thin films. X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that both nanocrystal thin films and nanowires have a preferred orientation at 26° (2 θ), which can be attributed to the CdS (0 0 2) structure.

Photocurrent Distribution in Graphene–CdS Nanowire Devices

The spatial distribution of photocurrents generated in nanoscale devices comprising a contact between a graphene sheet and a cadmium sulfide nanowire is explored. The magnitude and spatial extent of the photocurrent can be improved through appropriate chemical modification of the graphene–CdS interface. Moreover, the photocurrent maps provide direct evidence for the generation of electron–hole pairs by surface plasmon near fields.