Synthesis, characterization and optical property investigation of CdS nanoparticles

Microwave-assisted routes have attracted much attention for nanoparticle synthesis because of minimal solvent use and rapid, high efficiency and controlled morphology. Cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanoparticles form the line between bulk and molecular states of materials and show variation in their physical and chemical properties. Cadmium sulphate and thiourea were used as precursors during this synthesis. These are included in the category of practical semiconductor metal sulphides, which are extensively used as catalysts and optical materials. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns confirmed that CdO nanoparticles are crystalline and have a hexagonal phase with crystal sizes that agree with transmission electron microscopy (TEM) data. UV-visible spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy were used to evaluate optical properties using band gap energy measurements.