Synthesis of CdS quantum dots in an imidazolium based ionic liquid

A solution protocol to synthesize CdS quantum dots (QDs) using 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium methanesulfonate ionic liquid is described in this work. Various reaction parameters such as temperature and injection protocols were varied to study the optical and structural properties of the obtained particles. X-ray diffraction (XRD) studies confirmed the formation of cubic and hexagonal phases depending on the reaction conditions. Peak broadening in the diffraction patterns revealed the formation of small sized quantum dots and the morphological studies further showed formation of nano-sized particles in the range of 2-15 nm, with close to spherical shaped morphologies. Blue-shifted band gaps further confirmed formation of very small CdS nanoparticles, which dependent on the reaction temperatures.