Mild hydrothermal preparation of a layered metal hydroxide salt with microtube/rod morphology

Microtubes/rods of the layered metal hydroxide salt compound Cd2(OH)3(DS)·nH2O, where DS stands for dodecyl sulfate sandwiched between two adjacent inorganic sheets, have been synthesized for the first time through a mild hydrothermal reaction route. The microtubes/rods have a diameter of about 1 μm and a length ranging from several microns to 20 μm. The growth process of microtubes/rods under the experimental conditions employed follows a dissolution–recrystallization route.