CdO nanorods and Cd(OH)2/Ag core/satellite nanorods: Rapid and efficient sonochemical synthesis, characterization and their magnetic properties

We have designed an efficient and direct sonochemical method for the facile synthesis of Cd(OH)2, CdO, and Cd(OH)2/Ag core/satellite nanorods. A Cd(OH)2 nanorod was synthesized with a one-pot, environmentally-friendly aqueous sonochemical reaction, followed by calcination at 500 °C to produce CdO nanorods. Thirty minutes of re-ultrasonicated CdO nanorods in the presence of the Ag precursor was sufficient for phase transformation from the cubic structure of CdO to the monoclinic crystalline structure of Cd(OH)2, accompanied by deposition of Ag nanodots on the surface to form Cd(OH)2/Ag core/satellite nanorods. X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, N2 Brunauer-Emmett-Teller adsorption-desorption, and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy measurements confirmed the successful formation of the various phases and the unique morphology of the nanorods/satellites. We also measured the magnetic properties using a vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature, and the produced nanorods showed weak unsaturated ferromagnetic properties with a magnetic moment values of 0.105 and 0.076 emu/g for CdO and Cd(OH)2/Ag NRs, respectively. In conclusion, our one-pot, cost-effective, sonochemical approach holds promise for the synthesis of various oxides and core/satellite nanoparticles.