Abstract

In this research, cadmium sulfide nanowires were successfully synthesized via a poly (ethylene glycol)-assisted solvothermal method using ethylenediamine solvent at 170°C for 3 days. In this procedure, cadmium nitrate and thiourea provided Cd2+ and S2- ions, respectively and polyethylene glycol 400 was used as a template. The effect of polymer gel concentration and solution stirring on the morphology, structural and optical properties of the products was investigated. The as-prepared samples were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The results show that the length of the nanostructures grows longer with the increasing of the polymer gel concentration up to a certain value. The results also show that 1-D growth of CdS nanostructures depends solely on the quick stirring of the cadmium salt in the polymer gel. Hexagonal CdS nanowires with the average diameters of 75 nm and average lengths of 2.5 μm were obtained through the rapid stirring of the Cd2+-PEG 400 solution using a magnetic stirrer. The optimum amount of PEG 400 to provide the CdS nanowires was determined 5 g.

Keywords: Cadmium sulfide nanowires, solvothermal, ethylenediamine, polyethylene glycol 400.