Synthesis and photoluminescence properties of CdS nanobelts

Large-scale CdS nanobelts were successfully synthesized by a simple thermal evaporation of CdS powders under controlled conditions without the presence of a catalyst. Its morphology and microstructures were determined by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The as-synthesized nanobelts are single crystals with a hexagonal wurtize structure growing along the [1 0 0] direction and the growth process follows a vapor–solid mechanism. The PL spectrum of the nanobelts shows two emission bands around 512 and 713 nm, which should arise from the intrinsic transition and the Vs+ vacancies, respectively.