Growth of CdS Nanorods and Deposition of Silver Nanoparticles

Systematic investigations have been done to deposit silver nanoparticles on seeded CdS nanorods. The CdS nanorods were synthesized by using CdS nanocrystals as seeds being indexed to the cubic structure (zinc-blende) and tetradecylphosphonic acid as surfactants to enable preferential growth on the reactive {001} facets. Ostwald ripening process occurred during the growth of CdS nanorods. Ag/CdS heterostructures were obtained through a facile method in which oleylamine was employed as reducing agents under an elevated temperature. Exposing CdS nanorods to Ag+ ions resulted in Ag domains depositing on the tips of the nanorods or defected sites embedding in the nanorod surfaces. Ag domains formed separate nuclei and grew quickly at a high concentration of AgNO3 solution. We further focused on discussing the morphology formation mechanism and optical properties of the heterostructures and the nanorods. The as-synthesized Ag/CdS heterostructures can facilitate charge separation at the metal-semiconductor interface. Herein, it opens up an application possibility of enhancing photocatalytic processes and other devices.