Dopant-induced formation of branched CdS nanocrystals

The formation of tetrapod-dominated branched CdS nanocrystals (NCs) by incorporating a trace amount of dopant in a solvothermal process, was investigated. CdS NCs were obtained under solvothermal reaction with Cd(NO ₃)₂ and S powder as the reactants and ethylenediamine (EN) as the solvent. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) was utilized to observe the crystallographic structure of the branched NCs. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was also used to examine the structures and dimensions of the NCs. UV/Vis and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy were used to analyze the optical properties of the CdS-based nanostructures. The solvothermal reaction was terminated at the first stage of the NC growth by controlling the experimental conditions. The synthesis of Se-doped CdS NCs was also conducted at dilute Se concentration. Results show that the doping inducement effect can affect the manipulation and controllability of anistropic NCs.