Novel fabrication of CdS hollow spheres induced by self-assembled process

Micro-size CdS spheres of hollow shape were fabricated through the self-assembly of high density arrow-like nanorods. The synthesis of the CdS hollow spheres were accomplished in an aqueous solution of cadmium nitrate and triblock copolymer (Pluronic P123) at low temperature (80 °C) through the slow release of S^2-ions from thioacetamide. Morphology of the fabricated CdS hollow spheres was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results indicate that the arrow-like CdS nanorods are simultaneously grown and attached each other to form the building units that become the spheres with hollow inside as a self-assembled process. The CdS spheres have a diameter of 2~3 μm and consist of the nanorods with a length of ~800 nm. The nanocrystal building blocks have a hexagonal CdS structure.