Growth Mechanism of Highly Crystalline CdS Spheres with Grainy Surfaces

Owing to its excellent optical and electronic properties, CdS has increasingly received considerable attention as a promising III-V semiconductor material. We report on the growth mechanism of CdS spheres with high crystallinity, uniform size distribution, and grainy surfaces under hydrothermal conditions. By controlling the reaction time, temperature, and pH, CdS with various morphologies and size distributions could be synthesized. The analysis of the time evolution of the morphology and size of the CdS particles provided good indications on the growth mechanism. In addition, the effects of the temperature and pH on the formation and size of the CdS spherical particles were studied to understand the reaction mechanism. The characterization of the physicochemical properties of the synthesized samples by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and Raman spectroscopy is presented.