A novel ultraviolet-irradiation route to CdS nanocrystallites with different morphologies

A novel ultraviolet-irradiation technique has been successfully developed to the synthesis of CdS nanocrystallites with different morphologies using poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) as protecting agent. The produced CdS samples may exhibit spherical, disk-like and wire-like morphologies by adjusting the concentrations of CdSO4·8/3H2O and thioacetamide (TAA). It is found that some nanotubes coexist in the sample of the CdS nanodisk, indicating it is possible to synthesize CdS nanotubes by the present approach. This method may extend to synthesize other metal sulfide nanocrystallites, nanowires, nanodisks, and even nanotubes.