Controlled synthesis of the semiconductor CdS quasi-nanospheres, nanoshuttles, nanowires and nanotubes by the reverse micelle systems with different surfactants

A series of CdS nanomaterials with different morphologies and structures were self-assembled in a simple reverse micelle solvent system containing cyclohexane, aqueous solution, n-pentanol and surfactant. CdS quasi-nanospheres (i.d. 200–500 nm), CdS nanoshuttles (i.d. 248 nm and length ∼450 nm), CdS nanowires (i.d. ∼46 nm and length 1.65–4.15 μm) and CdS nanotubes (inner i.d. 25 nm, outer i.d. 38 nm and length ∼400 nm long) were produced by employing the surfactant of Tween-80, Peregals, C12E9 and Triton X-100, respectively. The CdS nanomaterials were found to possess different optical properties from the bulk CdS when analyzed by photoluminescence and UV-visible spectroscopy. A mechanism involving the possible formation of nanomaterials based on surfactant microemulsion template was also proposed.