Surfactant-ligand co-assisted solvothermal technique for the synthesis of different-shaped CdS nanorod-based materials

1-D nanorods, twinrods, golfclubs, and tripods of CdS were prepared via a surfactant-ligand co-assisted solvothermal method at 160°C. The surfactant of S-dodecylisothiounium bromide (C₁₂) used in the process was favorable for synthesis of different-shaped CdS nanorod with high aspect ratio. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and TEM images showed that the 1-D nanorods had wurtzite phase and others had a zinc blende core and wurtzite arms. The morphologies of CdS prepared under different conditions suggested the “template-assistance” of the surfactant and that the nonaqueous organic media are important for the self-assembling of inorganic components at atomic level.