A solvothermal route to CdS nanocrystals

A novel solvothermal route for the preparation of organic soluble CdS nanocrystals, involving the reaction of cadmium stearate with sulfur in the presence of tetralin has been described. Tetralin in the presence of S gives H2S, getting aromatized to naphthalene. By using trioctylphosphineoxide as the capping agent, nanocrystals of 4 nm are obtained. Use of dodecanethiol cap results in 5 nm as well as 10 nm nanocrystals which can be separated readily. The nanocrystals have the cubic zinc blende structure and exhibit blue shifts of the absorption maximum.