Novel Cd-CdS micro/nano heterostructures: Synthesis and luminescence properties

Self-assembled metal-semiconductor nanostructures for the fabrication of integrated circuitry nanodevices are currently actively pursuited. One prominent example is the one-dimensional semiconductor (CdS) nanobelt on metallic (Cd) heterojunction. In this work, we have synthesized hexagonal Cd micro-rods, Cd micro-spheres and Cd-CdS micro/nano hetrostructures using a simple chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. In addition to the optimization of synthesis parameters for these micro/nanostructures, we explored the effect of the inclination angle between the substrate and the furnace on the morphologies of these products. Using a range of characterization tools including scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDXS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), we characterized these micro/nanostructures and found them to be of high quality crystals. Moreover, we performed photoluminescence and lifetime decay studies to confirm that heterostructures are composed of metal-semiconductor heterojunction. These micro/nano-heterostructures are anticipated to be used in photocatalysis and photoelectronic devices.