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Cadmium sulfide nanoparticles (CdS NPs) were synthesized by using cadmium acetate and thiourea as precursors and sodium oleate as the surfactant under different cadmium acetate concentrations in anhydrous ethanol. Cadmium (Cd) precursor concentration greatly affected the nucleation-growth of CdS NPs. In extremely dilute solution with a Cd precursor concentration of 0.1 mmol · L−1, an overlapped nucleation and growth corresponding to two pronounced absorption peaks at 310 nm and 350 nm, respectively, was observed. Unparalleled nucleation was dominant within very long reaction time until 10 hours. The nuclei and the resulting magic-sized CdS NPs may be used as seeds to prepare size and shape controllable nanoparticles. On the contrary, at a high Cd precursor concentration (5 mmol · L−1), nucleation and growth were separated. Only one first exciton absorption peak standing for the growth of regular CdS NPs appeared at 440 nm. Many techniques including transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) absorption and photoluminescence (PL) spectrometers were applied to characterize the morphology, crystalline structure, and optical properties of CdS NPs.

Herein, we describe the growth and characterization of new crystal lead-doped l-threonine cadmium acetate (LTCA). The supramolecular coordination compounds are crystallized by slow evaporation technique at ambient temperature. The X-ray diffraction techniques confirm monoclinic crystal system. The presence of lead and the LTCA lattices were identified using EDAX analysis. l-Threonine amino acids have unique properties like zwitterionic nature and molecular chirality, which improve the optical properties of the lead-doped crystal. The linear optical parameters such as optical band gap and refractive indexes are estimated at lower cutoff wavelength from UV–Vis analysis. The variation of dielectric constant, dielectric loss with frequency is studied using LCR meter. Due to the electropositive character of lead the static permittivity increases. Magnetic behavior changes to paramagnetic nature due to the inclusion of lead. TG/DTA analysis suggests that the crystal is thermally stable up to 135.32 °C. Using Nd-YAG laser, the NLO property was studied and the lead-doped LTCA crystal shows higher SHG efficiency than the LTCA crystal.

The slow evaporation technique was adopted for the growth of L-tyrosine doped Thiourea (Bis) Cadmium Acetate (CTA) single crystal. The doped crystals were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction,...

Samples of non-stoichiometric nano-CdS1−x were synthesized by a simple thermolysis method by lowering the ratio of thiourea relative to cadmium acetate as starting precursors: Cd(Ac):(1 − x) thiourea (x = 0.0, 0.03, 0.05, and 0.1). X’pert HighScore Plus program manifested biphasic CdS (cubic and hexagonal), and the Rietveld analysis was utilized to match the structural and microstructure parameters of the formed samples. The possibility of formed CdS1−xOx alloy due to the sulfur deficiency is also examined using the Rietveld method. A high-resolution transmission electron microscope imaging exhibited nanosize particles with homogeneous morphology. Fourier transform infrared spectrometer was utilized to confirm the existence of O2 in CdS1−x matrix. The band-gap energies for CdS1−x are reduced below the values of energy gaps of CdS and CdO upon increasing the parameter (x) forming a band-gap “bowing.” The photoluminescence (PL) emitted visible colors depending on the amount of sulfur deficiency and excitation wavelength used. The maximum PL intensity observed in CdS0.9 sample confirmed the presents of oxygen inside the matrix. The influence of oxygen substitution or vacancies of sulfur on the electronic structure and optical features of CdS was also investigated applying density function calculations.

In this study, thin films of cadmium oxide (CdO) were deposited on soda-lime glass substrates using the simple spray pyrolysis technique using a cadmium acetate precursor. The results regarding the structural, electrical, and optical properties of the layers as a function of the substrate temperature ranging from 280 to 340 °C, spray rate ranging from 5 to 20 ml/min, and volume of solution ranging from 50 to 125 ml were systematically studied. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that all the thin films had a polycrystalline nature with the fcc structure of single-phase CdO. The analysis also showed peaks related to (111), (200), (220), and (311) planes. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images showed that the morphology surface of the thin films was spherical. The atomic force microscopy (AFM) analysis demonstrated that the roughness of thin films ranged from 21.16 to 60.9 nm. The Hall effect and thermoelectric studies revealed that the films exhibited an n-type conductivity. The Hall effect measurement study also showed that the carrier concentration (n) and carrier mobility were of the order of 1019 cm− 3 and 10− 2 cm− 2/v s, respectively. The obtained values for the optical bandgap ranged from 2.29 to 2.56 eV, where the amount of the optical bandgap for the thin films decreased as the substrate temperature increased.

Photocatalytic degradation of broadband antibiotics like tetracycline (TC) under visible-light irradiation is considered as an efficient and cost-effective protocol for eliminating it from the aqueous medium. In this study, highly efficient solution-processable Cd1−xZnxS photocatalysts were synthesized using a simple solvothermal route where zinc acetate and cadmium acetate were used as precursors. Composition-tunable alloyed nanorods with bandgap energy tunability ranging from UV (3.7 eV) to Vis (2.5 eV) were synthesized and structural and optical characterization was performed thoroughly. With the increase of Zn content in the Cd1−xZnxS crystal, the 1LO phonon shifts notably towards higher wavenumber. The performance of Cd1−xZnxS nanorod photocatalyst is strongly related to the ratio of Cd and Zn. The Cd0.75Zn0.25S sample exhibits the highest photocatalytic degradation rate constant compared to the other family members. The scavenger experiment revealed that the holes are the main responsible species, whereas hydroxyl radicals have weak roles and electrons have mild effects for the photocatalytic degradation of TC. Our study gives new insight towards the designing of ternary photocatalytic materials for efficient removal of antibiotics from aqueous solution.

The effects of two different growth methods including electrodeposition (ED) (two-electrode configuration) and chemical bath deposition (CBD) on the characteristic properties of CdS thin-films were explored and reported. The electrodeposited CdS (ED-CdS) layers were grown on glass/fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrates using acidic and aqueous solution containing 0.3 M of thiourea (SC(NH2)2) and 0.2 M of cadmium chloride hydrate (CdCl2.xH2O). The chemical bath deposited CdS (CBD-CdS) layers were also grown on glass/FTO substrates using alkaline and aqueous solution containing 4 × 10–3 M of cadmium acetate dihydrate (Cd(CH3CO2)2.2H2O), 20 × 10–3 M of thiourea (TU) and 6 × 10–2 M ammonium acetate (NH4C2H3O2). The deposited CdS thin-films were characterised using X-ray diffraction (XRD), UV–Visible spectrophotometer (UV–Vis), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and photoelectrochemical (PEC) cell measurement to study their structural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties, respectively. The structural study shows the polycrystalline nature of the ED-CdS and CBD-CdS thin-films with stable hexagonal phase after heat treatment. The preferred orientation for both ED-CdS and CBD-CdS layers was along (002) hexagonal plane. The average crystallite size of CdS thin-films grown by both deposition methods were in the range ~ (11–38) nm and ~ (22–53) nm before and after heat treatment, respectively. Optical studies reveal the direct bandgap value of 2.42 eV for the heat-treated ED-CdS and CBD-CdS layers which correspond to the bulk bandgap of CdS (hexagonal phase). Morphological studies depict the average grain sizes in the range ~ (90–260) nm for the CdS thin-films. The PEC cell measurements show that the CdS layers grown by both ED and CBD methods were n-type in electrical conduction before and after heat treatment. No visible precipitations of elemental S or CdS particles were observed in the deposition electrolyte of ED-CdS showing a stable bath using TU precursor during the growth. The solar cells fabricated using CBD-CdS showed better performance as compared to the devices fabricated using ED-CdS due to the uniform coverage of FTO surface and better fill factor (FF).

A highly conductive carbon-doped cadmium oxide (CdO) has been fabricated by a catalyst free, compatible and low-cost one-step technique using an annealing method. In the process, the cadmium acetate was used directly as a precursor, and no further assistance from chemicals, multiple steps or instruments was needed. The morphology and phase identification were confirmed by x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron and Raman spectroscopy analyses. From the analyses, it was confirmed that the carbons are inserted at the vacant oxygen sites of the prepared CdO, and the Cd–C linking bridges play a significant role in increasing the electrical conductivity. The thin film prepared by the fabricated CdO showed an excellent electrical conductivity of 858.51 S/cm, suggesting that a highly conductive CdO material fabricated by a simple annealing method can serve as a good electrical conductor material. The thin film fabricated from the carbon-doped CdO material can be used for electrical applications such as solar cells, photo transistors, photo diodes and super capacitors.

In present work, a facile spray pyrolysis technique has been applied for the synthesis of cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films at 673 K using aqueous cadmium acetate solution and reported. Primarily, as-synthesized CdO thin films are characterized for their structure and surface morphology corroborations and afterward used for energy storage applications. X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis supports to the formation of cubic crystalline phase of CdO. A homogeneous network of elongated rod-type surface morphology of CdO films was confirmed through scanning electron microscopy analysis. In addition, hydrophilic character of CdO thin film was corroborated through contact angle measurement. Electrochemical properties of as-synthesized CdO thin film electrode was studied in various aqueous electrolytes by means of cyclic voltammetry, charge-discharge, and impedance spectroscopy techniques and discussed. Electrochemical studies of CdO thin film electrode demonstrates a maximum specific capacitance of 344 F/g at 5 mV/s scan rate in 2 M KOH electrolyte.

Nanostructured CdS (nCdS) and ternary SnxCd1−xS thin films capped with thioglycerol and methanol in 1:1 ratio in aqueous medium were prepared using hydrated stannous chloride (SnCl2·2H2O), anhydrous cadmium acetate (CH3COO)Cd·2H2O and thiourea (CS(NH2)2) as sources of Sn, Cd and S ions, respectively. Thickness of the film drastically decreases for low concentrations (0–2%) of Sn doping, then increases for (2–3%) and 5% Sn doping. Effects of Sn concentration variation on the optical properties, photoluminescence and structural properties of the nanoparticles were studied. The optical transmittance measurement using ultraviolet–visible–near infrared spectroscopy showed more than 80% transparency in the wavelength range 450–800 nm for 3% and 5% Sn doping. The direct optical band gap value of nanoCdS thin films was obtained as 2.91 eV, which decreased with Sn doping for its varying concentrations. Photoconductivity gain was negligible. A decrease in intensity of lower wavelength emission at 430 nm in nCdS was observed to have (2–5)% Sn content. X-ray diffraction patterns and selected area electron diffraction patterns confirmed formation of the nanocrystalline hexagonal CdSnS phase. Scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscope measurements of the CdSnS thin films show that the particle size lies well under 20 nm.

Phenol red dyed bis thiourea cadmium acetate (BTCA) crystals of ∼30 × 10 × 6 mm dimension have been grown for the first time using the slow evaporation solution technique. Diffuse reflectance measurements show absorption bands at 363 and 563 nm in the doped crystal. Optical energy gap was calculated to be 4–5 eV. Photoluminescence spectra were recorded using 320 nm excitation source. The chemical etching study was done and etch pit density was found to be reduced from 4.5 × 103/cm2 (pure) to 3.0 × 102/cm2 (dyed). Mechanical strength is increased from 74.1 kg/mm2 for pure to 94.7 kg/mm2 for dyed crystals. The enriched properties of BTCA in the presence of dye suggest that the dyed crystals will be more applicable compared to pure crystals.

To overcome the major limitation of the successive ionic layer adsorption and reaction (SILAR) technique – the under-utilization of the precursor material – in the present work, simultaneous fabrication of CdS thin films and CdS powder is attempted. CdS films were prepared by employing SILAR technique using cadmium acetate dihydrate and thiourea as cationic and anionic precursor materials for Cd and S, respectively. The precipitated powder materials in the cationic and anionic baths which are usually discarded as wastage are collected and processed to obtain CdS powders. In another trial, the cationic and anionic bath solutions are mixed and the resultant precipitate is collected for characterization. The obtained CdS in thin film and powder forms are analyzed for structural, surface morphological, optical, compositional and photocatalytic properties. The results clearly showed that the obtained CdS films are good candidates for considering them for solar cell applications. Similarly, CdS powders obtained from the mixture of cationic and anionic bath solutions are found to have good photocatalytic efficacy. Thus the demerits of under-utilization of precursor materials in SILAR process for the deposition of CdS films is overcome to certain extent as 63% of the wastage is recovered as useful product.

Cadmium oxide codoped with Al and Gd ion powders was synthesised by thermal codecomposition of a mixture of complexes of cadmium acetate dihydrate, gadolinium acetate hydrate, and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate. The mass ratio of Al/Cd was fixed while the mass ratio of Gd/Cd varied systematically. The purpose of the present study is to synthesise and study the transparent conducting oxide (TCO) CdO powder having room-temperature ferromagnetic (RT-FM) properties. To realize that purpose, the synthesised Al/Gd-codoped CdO powder was annealed under hydrogen gas with certain conditions. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) method confirmed the formation of a single nanocrystalline structure; thus, both Al/Gd ions were incorporated into CdO lattice forming solid solutions. Magnetic measurements revealed that some of the doped CdO powders gained paramagnetic (PM) properties where the susceptibility increases with increasing dopant Gd content; the measured effective magnetic moment of dopant Gd3+ was around 8 μB. Furthermore, the magnetic energy of the created RT-FM of the codoped CdO samples by hydrogenation was found to be dependent on the Gd% doping level. For hydrogenated CdO powder doped with 3% Gd, the coercivity (Hc) was 195.9 Oe, the remanence (Mr) was 0.77 memu/g, the saturation magnetisation (Ms) was 5.05 memu/g, and the energy product (Um) was 150.6 merg/g. Thus, the possibility of production of TCO CdO with RT-FM, where magnetic characteristics can be tailored by doping and post treatment under H2 gas, was proven. Thus, a new potential candidate to be used as a dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS) was successfully synthesised.

Nano-powder samples of cadmium oxide doped with Al-Co ions were synthesized by the sol–gel technique using a mixture of complexes of cadmium acetate dihydrate, gadolinium acetate hydrate, and aluminum nitrate nonahydrate. The mass ratios of Al/Cd and Co/Cd in the investigated samples (CdO:Al, CdO:CO, and CdO:Al;Co) were 0.5% and 1%, respectively. X-ray diffraction studies confirmed the formation of a single-phase crystalline structure. Thus, both Al and Co ions were successfully incorporated into the CdO lattice. The present work aims to investigate the possible creation of room-temperature (RT) ferromagnetic properties in host CdO for the field of dilute magnetic semiconductorz (DMS). Annealing in H2 atmosphere under certain conditions was extensively utilized to enhance the Heisenberg interactions between the spins of the incorporated dopant ions which boosted the created FM behavior. Optical measurements revealed the redshift of the bandgap by doping and hydrogenation. RT magnetic measurements disclosed various magnetic properties [diamagnetic, paramagnetic (PM), and FM) at RT depending on the dopant type]. However, the hydrogenation converted all the investigated samples to FM. It was established that the hydrogenation could enhance the saturation magnetisation of CdO:Al:Co nano-powder by ∼ 400 times. Therefore, the system of Al/Co-doped CdO nano-powders, owning these amazingly tunable magnetic properties, can be considered as a potential candidate for many applications such as DMS in addition to its transparent conducting oxide properties.

Cadmium oxide (CdO) thin films have been deposited onto glass substrates using different molar concentrations (0.2 M, 0.5 M and 0.8 M) of cadmium acetate precursor solutions using a sol-gel spin coating technique. The structural, morphological, optical and electrical results are presented. X-ray diffraction patterns indicated that the CdO films of different molarity have a stable cubic structure with a (111) preferred orientation at low molar concentration. Scanning electron microscopy images revealed that the films adopted a rectangular to cauliflower like morphology. The optical transmittance of the thin films was observed in the range 200–800 nm and it was found that the 0.2 M CdO thin films showed about 83% transmission in the visible region. The optical band gap energy of the thin films was found to vary from 2.10 to 3.30 eV with the increase in molar concentration of the solution. The electrical resistance of the 0.5 M thin film was found to be 1.56 kΩ. The oxygen sensing response was observed between 20–33% in the low temperature range (32–200 °C).

In this study, cadmium selenide (CdSe) were synthesizd by a chemical route process using l-cysteine (l-cyst) as a ligand, cadmium acetate as a Cd source and Na2SeO3 as a Se precurseur. CdSe nanocrystals were embedded in porous anodic alumina (PAA) layer by the chemical bath deposition (CBD) method. The influence of annealing temperature in air-atmosphere from 150 to 350 °C on the microstructural, optical properties, and thermal conductivity of CdSe in PAA template has been studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), Raman spectroscopy, UV–Vis and photothermal deflection (PTD) techniques. The annealing temperature at 300 and 350 °C resulted in a considerable change in the surface morphology of CdSe film on the PAA layer, from a nonhomgeneous CdSe clusters into microrods array with a pyramidal ends. Raman spectroscopy measurements show an enhancement in the crystallinity of CdSe film on PAA layer and an increase of the average radius size of the nanocrystallites from 2.41 to 2.78 nm with the increase of air-annealing temperature. The optical reflectivity result of CdSe on PAA template showed that the crystal quality was significantly improved after the annealing step, bringing about an enhancement in optical absorption and a decrease in bandgap energy. The thermal conductivity Kth was studied via PTD technique, and the Kth increase was depicted with thermal treatement from 4.40 to 5.22 W M−1 K−1.

An optimization of CdS chemical deposition process is presented in order to fabricate high quality CdS buffer layer for high-performance CIGS thin film solar cells. It is found that the heterogeneous and homogeneous reaction can be regulated conveniently by changing the concentration of cadmium acetate. No obvious large CdS particles on the surface of CdS film can be observed due to the dominant heterogeneous reaction and suppressed homogeneous precipitation under the suitable concentration of cadmium acetate. The device with CdS buffer layer deposited at 0.052 M cadmium acetate shows the best efficiency of 11.42%. The performance of the device can be further improved by post-annealing treatment in air. An improved champion efficiency of 12.57% is achieved at the annealing temperature of 180 °C.

CdS thin films with different Cd/S molar ratios have been prepared on glass substrates at 200 °C using simple and cost effective chemical technique having Cadmium Acetate Dihydrate (C4H8CdO4·2H2O) and Thiourea (CH4N2S) salts as sources for Cd and S respectively. Irrespective of Cd/S molar ratio, the crystalline nature with Cubic crystal system of cadmium sulphide thin films with preferential orientation (111) were determined by X-ray diffraction analysis with crystallite size between 1.5 and 2 nm. Crystallite size increases as the Cd/S molar ratio decreases up to 0.8 and then decreases for lower Cd/S molar ratio. Microstructural parameters such as strain, dislocation density and crystallite size were calculated. The broadened diffraction peaks indicated nano sized particles of the film material. Film coated with Cd/S molar ratio equal to 0.8 has lowest values of lattice strain and dislocation density confirming the improved crystallinity of the thin films. The surface morphology of the films was studied by scanning electron microscope analysis. The surface topography of the film was studied by atomic force microscope indicated that the film is evenly coated and has uniform grain sizes. Element stoichiometry was derived from EDS. The optical characteristic of Transmittance, Absorbance and Band gap Energy was studied by UV–Visible Spectrometer. The optical measurement shows the presence of direct transition with energy band gap between 2.4 and 2.7 eV.

Thin films of cadmium oxide (CdO) were prepared by simple nebulized pyrolysis technique by spraying on the amorphous glass substrates at five different volumes (5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 ml) of precursor cadmium acetate dihydrate solution. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that the prepared films were oriented along with prominent (111) plane having cubic structure in CdO matrix. The surface morphology of these thin films showed sphere like structure was observed from scanning electron microscopic study. Transparency of these samples had decreased from 95 to 80% at longer wavelengths (900–1100 nm) with an increase in precursor solution volume. The energy band gap increases from 2.30 to 2.49 eV belonging to direct transition as the precursor solution volume had increased up to 20 ml and decreased for 25 ml. The presence of the absorption peak around 650 cm−1 corresponding to CdO bond was confirmed by FTIR spectrum. The emission spectrum of CdO thin films were investigated by fluorescence spectrum recorded at room temperature. Hall Effect measurement was carried out to investigate the electrical properties of the as deposited CdO thin films. The resistivity decreased from 36 × 10−2 to 7.54 × 10−3 Ω-cm and the activation energy (Ea) had decreased from 0.20 to 0.096 eV. The hot probe characterization proved, all these thin films were n-type semiconductor.

Colloidal quantum dots can be stabilized in either a polar solvent or a nonpolar solvent depending on their surface chemistry. The former is typically achieved by charge stabilization while the latter by steric hindrance. This allows reversible tuning of their surface polarity for targeted application by engineering their ligand profile. Here we developed a hybrid stabilization approach that leveraged a combination of steric hindrance and charge stabilization simultaneously. We demonstrated this mechanism in a phase transfer process where hexane dispersed and hydrophobic CdSe/CdS core/shell quantum dots were exchanged into the hydrophilic dimethylformamide (DMF) phase. This was achieved by employing both Z-type cadmium acetate and X-type halide ligands. The results suggested only by using this hybrid stabilization strategy were we able to achieve good colloidal stability while preserving their photoluminescence quantum yield. This hybrid ligand strategy may promise new opportunities for the application of QDs in optoelectronic areas.

CdO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized (hydrothermal) with cadmium acetate and ammonium hydroxide as starting materials and characterized by XRD, FE-SEM and FTIR. It exhibits face centred cubic structure with an average crystallite size of 43 nm and the lattice strain (W–H plot) is 0.0029. The surface morphological image appears particle like structure (150 nm). The vibrational stretching mode of Cd–O is 620 cm−1 whereas micro Raman reveals the overtone at 389 cm−1. The optical energy bandgap is found to be 2.47 eV from the UV–Vis spectra. Five emission peaks were recorded at 360, 429, 488, 527 and 640 nm upon excited at 290 nm. The SHG efficiency is 0.84 times of KDP. The photocatalytic performance has been evaluated of the CdO NPs for the degradation of methylene blue under sunlight irradiation. CdO NPs were screened for their in vitro antibacterial activity against human pathogens such as Gram negative (Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Proteus vulgaris) and Gram positive (Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, Bacillus subtilis) bacteria has been investigated.

CdS nanostructures have been fabricated using cadmium acetate dihydrate and Cd(II)-Salophen as precursors via different chemical methods such as chemical bath deposition and electrodeposition. Electrochemical deposition experiments were performed by means of potentiostatic method. The effects of the precursor type, deposition time and method on the structural, morphological, chemical composition and optical properties of these films were investigated. The thin films are characterized by X-ray diffraction pattern, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray analysis spectroscopy. Current density–voltage (J–V) curve was used to investigation of CIGS solar cells made by electrodeposition method. To the best our knowledge, this is the first report on the synthesis of CdS nanostructures by Cd(II)-Salophen as an inorganic precursor for application in CIGS solar cells. It was found that electrodeposition method is the best technique for deposition of CdS on the FTO surface for using in CIGS solar cell. The highest efficiency obtained for n-CdS/p-CIGS solar cells was 0.01% (FF = 27%) with a synthesized CdS layer using Cd(II)-Salophen as a new precursor.

In this work CdS thin films were deposited from precursor solution at various substrate temperatures for the application in solar cell photovoltaics. Cadmium acetate ((CH3COO)2Cd.2H2O), thiourea (CH4N2S) and methanol (CH3OH) were used for the very simple and efficient deposition process. The structural characteristics of the deposited CdS thin films were studied by using X-ray diffractrometry, atomic force microscopy and EDAX. The results confirm a primitive type hexagonal structure of the deposited films with an increase in crystallinity as the substrate temperature increases. The optical characteristics (transmittance and band gap) were analyzed using UV–Vis spectrophotometer in the range of 300–900 nm. Transmittance and band gap increases with the increase in substrate temperature. Hall Effect analysis has been done to investigate electrical characteristics (carrier concentration, mobility and conductivity). Results show that substrate temperature has a significant role on structural, optical and electrical characteristics of the deposited CdS thin films which can alter the performance of solar cells.

In this study, we have reported effects of post-deposition thermal treatment of cadmium oxide thin films on indium tin oxide coated glass substrates by sol–gel technique using spin coating method. To prepare CdO thin films, a precursor solution based on a derivative from cadmium acetate was gelated and subsequently coated on ITO/glass substrates. Spin coated CdO films were annealed in air at varied temperatures of 300, 400, and 500 °C. The crystallite size, microstrain and dislocation density were estimated from high resolution X-ray diffraction analysis. X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed cubic phase formation in polycrystalline CdO films. Cross-sectional and top surface morphology of the films was studied by field-enhanced scanning electron microscopy. The as-deposited and thermally treated CdO thin films for various annealing temperatures showed an increase in the optical transmittance to 79% from that of 63% of CdO film in the visible and near infrared region. Shrinkage in band gap from 2.6 to 2.4 eV was reported for temperature variation of 300–500 °C. The emission properties of as-deposited and thermally treated CdO thin films were studied by photoluminescence spectrum recorded at 298 K.

Cadmium sulphide (CdS) thin-films have been electrodeposited using two electrode system to be used as the hole back diffusion barrier (hbdb) layer for graded bandgap solar cells with p-type windows. Cadmium acetate dihydrate [Cd(CH3COO)2·2H2O] and ammonium thiosulphate [(NH4)2S2O3] have been used as the cadmium (Cd) and sulphur (S) precursors respectively. In this work, CdS layers have been grown on glass/FTO (fluorine doped tin oxide) substrates at cathodic potentials ranging from 1300 to 1460 mV in order to find the best growth voltage. N-type conductivity is observed for all the layers and band-gap ranged between ~ 2.36 and ~ 2.40 eV for as-deposited layers and ~ 2.31 and ~ 2.36 eV for air-annealed layers. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed cubic/hexagonal mixed crystallinity for the as-grown layers which indicates a tendency of transiting towards hexagonal structure upon annealing. Compositional and morphological characteristics of the layers have been investigated with energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) respectively.

Coal-based carbon nanoscrolls (CNS) were prepared through improved Hummers oxidation method using Xinjiang Wucaiwan coal as a carbon source, after removing impurities by acid treatment and graphitizing pretreatment. Then, the Cadmium sulfide (CdS) generated by the precipitation reaction of cadmium acetate and sodium sulfide was loaded on the coal-based CNS substrate in situ to prepare the composite photocatalyst CdS/CNS with different CdS content. The structure of the as-prepared CdS/CNS characterized, and the photocatalytic N2/H2O ammonia synthesis performance was studied. The results show that CNS is a kind of coal-based carbon nanomaterial evolved from graphene oxide (GO), yet it is more stable than GO and has a similar photoelectric property. Using it as a nano-catalyst substrate of the CdS can not only improve the agglomeration of CdS nanoparticles but also create structural defects in the composite catalyst that are favorable for photocatalytic reaction on the composite photocatalyst. It also provides more active sites for the photocatalytic reaction, and greatly increases the photoelectron transfer rate of the composite catalyst as well. Besides, CNS is a good catalyst carrier. The composite catalyst with CNS has a much better enhancement than pure CdS nanoparticles in both adsorption and activation of N2 and response to visible light. The 80%-CdS/CNS was used in the synthesis ammonia of photocatalysis N2/H2O. After 4 h reaction, the ammonia yield reached 1.337 mmol/L·g cat., which was about 3.29 times that of the ammonia synthesis using pure CdS under the same conditions.

Spherical CdS nanoparticles with uniform diameter of 150 nm and good dispersity are prepared through the hydrothermal process with cadmium acetate and thiourea as precursors and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide as structure promoter. Shape and size of the CdS particles are strongly dependent on the stirring time in the pretreatment of the reactants before the hydrothermal process, and the growth mechanism is proposed. MoS 2 CdS composites are successfully synthesized by loading MoS 2 on the as-prepared CdS via the second hydrothermal process. The formation of MoS 2 on CdS is investigated through varying the reaction time in the second hydrothermal step. The MoS 2 CdS photocatalyst shows an optimal H 2 evolution rate of 5.24 mmol h −1 g −1 for water splitting under visible light in the presence of lactic acid as sacrificial agent. This study provides a simple way to prepare uniform CdS nanoparticles and CdS based visible-light-responded composite photocatalysts.

CdS1−xSex/graphene composites were prepared by a solvothermal process using cadmium acetate as Cd precursors, sulfourea as S precursors and selenosulfate as Se precursors. The value of x could be adjusted by controlling the molar ratio of S and Se precursors, and the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and further evaluated by transient photocurrent responses and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. Compared with pure CdS1−xSex, CdS1−xSex/graphene composites exhibit enhanced photocurrent response and decreased electron-transfer resistance due to the presence of graphene. The photocurrent of CdS1−xSex/graphene increases with the increase of the Se/S ratio and reaches the maximum at the Se/S ratio of 0.75:0.25. The effect of graphene on the photocurrent response was explored and a higher photocurrent density can be observed for 1 % CdS1−xSex/graphene.

In the current study, an attempt is made to synthesize cadmium titanate (CdTiO3) nanoparticles via a simple fabrication with the aid of cadmium acetate and tetra-n-butyl titanate. Capping agents are frequently used in colloidal synthesis to inhibit nanoparticle overgrowth and aggregation as well as to control the structural characteristics of the resulted nanoparticles in a precise manner. Ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid, polyvinylpyrrolidone, diethanolamine, and sodium dodecyl sulfate were applied as capping agents. XRD, SEM, EDS, and UV–Vis spectroscopy were employed to characterize structural, morphological, and optical properties of CdTiO3 nanoparticles. According to the vibrating sample magnetometer result, CdTiO3 nanoparticles indicated a ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature. Furthermore, the photocatalytic properties of as synthesized CdTiO3 were evaluated by degradation of methyl orange as water contaminant.

The conventional dye sensitized solar cell (DSSC) comprise of mostly the titania matrix sensitized with absorber dye molecules acting as light energy scavengers. The present investigation deals with formulating CdS–TiO2 conjugate matrix for the DSSC system using N3 dye sensitizer. TiO2 nanoparticles (NPs) were pasted on FTO glass substrate and thin film of CdS was coated on titania matrix by chemical bath deposition technique using precursors cadmium acetate and thiourea. The differential absorbance spectra of the CdS–TiO2 conjugate system shows sharp absorption edges around 345–500 nm, corresponding to band gap energies in the region 3.59 and 2.47 eV respectively, indicative of formation of two distinguishable energy region for the existence of the nano crystallites of both TiO2 and CdS. The shift in Raman bands was also observed with the incorporation of CdS in TiO2 matrix. XRD data confirms the formation of crystalline CdS nanoparticles. The FE–SEM images revealed that the TiO2 particles are spherical and monodispersed having diameter in the range 20–30 nm and embedded with CdSNPs of average particle size 10–15 nm. The performance characteristics of the synthesized films towards photovoltaic behavior were studied with the record of short circuit currents through J–V measurement using N3 absorber dye and the I−/I3 − electrolyte under 30 mW cm−2 light intensity. An effective increase of efficiency is observed with the CdS modified TiO2 matrix compared to the bare TiO2 in the DSSC system and a maximum photo-conversion efficiency of 7.5 % was obtained with the optimized dye loading. Impedance spectroscopic measurements give important information about the interfacial electron injection and recombination dynamics of the device. The incident photon-to-current conversion efficiency measurements show that both the absorbers CdS and N3 dye, contribute to the cell performance.

Pure cadmium molybdate (CdMoO4) nanoparticles were prepared via a novel precipitation route by using cadmium acetate dihydrate and ammonium heptamolybdate tetrahydrate in an aqueous solution. Besides, three amino acids cysteine, alanine, and asparagine were introduce as capping agents and their effects on the morphology and particle size of cadmium molybdate were investigated. It was found that size and morphology could be easily realized by changing the type of amino acids. XRD, SEM, EDS, and UV–vis spectroscopy were employed to characterize structural, morphological, and optical properties of (CdMoO4) nanoparticles. Cadmium molybdate (CdMoO4) nanoparticles indicated a ferromagnetic behavior at room temperature, as evidenced by using vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Furthermore, the photocatalysis results reveal that the maximum decolorization of 97 % for methyl orange occurred with (CdMoO4) samples in 60 min under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation.

ZnxCd1−xS photocatalyst arrays are prepared using a piezoelectric dispensing system with zinc nitrate, cadmium acetate and thiourea as precursors, a water-glycerol mixture as the reaction solvent and fluorine-doped tin oxide glass as a support. The arrays are annealed in Ar ambient at annealing temperatures that range from 100 to 500 °C. The photocatalytic performance of these arrays is evaluated using scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) with a scanning optical fiber that is connected to a Xenon lamp, under visible light and UV–visible light irradiation. The spot for the nominal CdS that is annealed at 200 °C exhibits the highest photocurrent. The screening results are confirmed by bulk film studies. XPS measurements show that a significant amount of CdO exists in the nominal CdS films that are annealed at a temperature less than 200 °C. An increase in the annealing temperature significantly improves the crystalline nature and decreases the amount of CdO. The increase photocatalytic activity of the nominal CdS photoelectrode that is annealed at a temperature of 200 °C may be due to the effective separation of photo-generated electron–hole pairs and highly active reaction sites because of the formation of the hetero-structured (CdS)0.74−(CdO)0.26 composites and the small grain size of photocatalysts.

This study focuses on understanding the influence of incorporating Ammonium Acetate into the chemical bath used for the deposition of CdS thin films, on its optical, morphology, and microstructural properties. Thus, CdS thin films were deposited on 1” × 2” microscopic glass substrates using chemical bath deposition (CBD) technique. The deposition process was carried out in a double jacket beaker with fixed chemical bath temperature of 90°C for a deposition time of 40 min. The chemical bath solution consisted of fixed concentrations of Cadmium Acetate, Thiourea, and Ammonium Hydroxide; with corresponding values of 4.8×10 -4 M; 0.97×10 -4 M; and 0.2M, respectively. However, Ammonium Acetate was incorporated into the deposition bath with concentrations that were varied from 3.0 mM to 12.2 mM. Meanwhile, for comparison purposes associated to the initial physical and chemical properties of the CdS films; reference CdS films were deposited under the same above chemical bath conditions, but in the absence of Ammonium Acetate. The pH of the chemical bath was measured during the deposition process. The films’ morphology and the chemical composition were examined by Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FE-SEM), and the Energy Dispersive spectrometer (EDS), respectively. The X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) θ/2θ technique was applied to study the structure of the films, including the lattice parameters. Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) was used to examine the films topography and to determine the root-mean-square (RMS) surface roughness of the films as well as the grain size. Dektak Surface Profilometer was used to determine the CdS films’ thickness, where the films’ optical properties were measured using UV-Vis-NIR spectrometer. Optical energy band gap (Eg), and absorption coefficient (α) were calculated from the transmission spectral data.

CdSe nanorods with wurtzite structure are synthesized by solvothermal process for different reaction time in a mixed solvent of hydrazine hydrate [H6N2O], ammonia [NH3], and de-ionzed water. Cadmium acetate [Cd(CH3COO)2 · 2H2O] and sodium selenite [Na2SeO3] are precursors used for cadmium and selenium ions, respectively. Structural parameters are obtained using Williamson–Hall plot of the X-ray diffraction data. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis measurements show that the nanorods are slightly cadmium rich and stoichiometry improves with reaction time. Field emission scanning electron microscope images show morphological changes in CdSe nanoparticle with reaction time. While particles synthesized for shorter reaction time are mostly spherical and oval shape, longer reaction time results in mostly elongated rod-shape particles. Thermal stability of the nanorods is studied using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). All the samples have high thermal stability without significant weight loss up to about 590 °C. The kinetics of thermal decomposition studied using Coats–Redfern method shows that the decomposition follow contracting cylinder model, which assumes that nucleation occurs rapidly on the surface of the cylindrical nanoparticles. Thermodynamic parameters in the decomposition such as activation energy, change in entropy, enthalpy of activation, and Gibbs free energy are also calculated.

One-pot and facile preparation of highly luminescent and water-soluble CdTe nanoparticles was reported. The CdTe nanoparticles were prepared using cadmium acetate as a source of cadmium, 3-mercaptopropionic acid as capping and stabilizing agent, potassium tellurite as a source of Te, and sodium borohydride as reducing agent. The effect of adding different molar percentages of sodium borohydride was investigated. The prepared nanoparticles were characterized by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with energy-dispersive X-ray, X-ray diffraction, UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy, and photoluminescence. The results indicated that the concentration of sodium borohydride had a significant effect on the phase structure, particle size, composition and luminescence of CdTe nanoparticles. With increasing sodium borohydride concentration, the Te/Cd atomic ratios of the prepared CdTe sample increased and the phase structure gradually changed from cubic and hexagonal mixed phase to pure hexagonal phase. Also, the luminescence intensity was greatly enhanced by decreasing sodium borohydride concentration. The prepared nanoparticles with low percentages of sodium borohydride are promising for light emitting device applications and biological labels. However, the samples prepared with high percentage of sodium borohydride might be possible to use as an effective material for applications in solar cells and photocatalysis.

In this study, pure and l-valine (LV)-doped bis-thiourea cadmium acetate (BTCA) crystals have been grown by slow solution evaporation technique. For the first time, LV has been used as a dopant to tune the optical (linear and third-order non-linear optical) and electrical properties of BTCA crystal which are vital for various integrated optic device applications. The UV-visible spectral analysis has been performed in the range of 200–900 nm to determine the optical transparency of grown crystals. The Z-scan (open and closed apertures) studies were undertaken at 632.8 nm to ascertain the nature of third-order non-linearity in grown crystals. The third-order non-linear optical parameters such as non-linear refraction (n2), absorption coefficient (β) and susceptibility (χ3) of grown crystals have been calculated. The susceptibility (χ3) of pure and LV-doped BTCA crystal is found to be 2.58 × 10−4 esu and 3.34 × 10−4 esu, respectively. The electrical studies have been carried out to analyse the dielectric con...

CdS QDs were successfully synthesized through a chemical reaction between cadmium acetate dehydrate and thioacetamide by using a microemulsion-mediated hydrothermal method. The properties of as-prepared CdS QDs can be controlled by using Emulsifier OP and CTAB surfactant, which produce a universal cubic phase and an unusual hexagonal phase, respectively. As a comparison, CdS QDs prepared by CTAB exhibit a better crystallinity and dispersibility. A possible mechanism involving the critical role of surfactant in the formation of crystal structure has also been explored in this paper. It is also found that the crystal size gradually increase with the increase of temperature, and the observation of red-shift in the absorption and emission peaks gives a clear evidence of the quantum confinement effect. All the desired properties of CdS QDs synthesized in this study imply the possibility of the preparation of high quality QDs under the appropriate reaction conditions.

In the present study, the transformation of acidic solution of cadmium acetate and sodium dithionite into CdSO3 nanorods through microemulsion/hydrothermal reaction is reported. The reaction time and microemulsion media are two factors that subjected to investigation. The reaction time was found to be crucial for the formation of nanorods but the microemulsion media have no important effect on the morphology of the products. The CdSO3 nanorods were yellow crystalline product having diameter of 70 nm as observed from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) results. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern clearly shows the formation of CdSO3. The CdO nanoparticles (43 nm) were obtained by thermal decomposition of CdSO3 product at 700 °C. Powder XRD and SEM microscopy were used to characterize the obtained nanoparticles. The XRD analysis confirmed the purity of the as-prepared CdO. The reasonable growth mechanism for the formation of CdSO3 and CdO were also proposed. The direct band gap of the CdO nanoparticles showed blue shift of 1.0 eV, comparing with that of the bulk CdO.

This paper explains one pot synthesis of type II water soluble L -cysteine capped cadmium telluride (CdTe) core shell quantum dots using cadmium acetate, potassium tellurite and L -cysteine as the starting materials. The reaction was carried out in a single three necked flask without nitrogen under reflux at 100 °C. Results from PL show a sharp absorption excitonic band edge of the CdTe core with respect to the core shell which loses its shoulder during the growth of the shell on the core. The PL spectra indicate a drastic shift in emission window of the core which is simultaneously accompanied by an increase in emission intensity. X-ray diffraction pattern confirms the formation of hexagonal phase for all samples. Some difference in absorption edges were observed due to varying synthesis time of CdTe NPs. The position of the absorption band is observed to shift towards the lower wavelength side for shorter durations of synthesis.

Nanocrystalline cadmium(II) oxide were obtained by calcining a hydrated cadmium-organic hybrid precursor, (C10H2O8)Cd2·xH2O, obtained by a chemical reduction method using cadmium acetate dihydrate, 1,2,4,5-benzenetetracarboxylic acid, and triethylamine. Calcined CdO at different temperature possess different morphology, revealed by field emission scanning electron microscope analysis. In this article, the photosensitivity, dielectric behavior, frequency dependant loss-tangent and complex impedance spectra of the morphology driven CdO nanoparticles were studied aptly.

This paper reports the facile synthesis and detailed characterization of mercaptoacetic acid capped cadmium sulphide (CdS) quantum dots using various cadmium precursors. The mercaptoacetic acid capped CdS quantum dots were prepared by facile and simple wet chemical method and characterized by several techniques such as energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, UV-vis. spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, high-resolution transmission microscopy (HRTEM) and thremogravimetric analysis. The EDS studies revealed that the prepared quantum dots possess higher atomic percentage of sulfur compared to cadmium due to the coordination of thiolate to the quantum dots surfaces. The X-ray and absorption analyses exhibited that the size of quantum dots prepared by cadmium acetate is larger than the quantum dots prepared by cadmium chloride and cadmium nitrate. The increase in size can be attributed to the low stability constant of cadmium acetate in comparison with cadmium chloride and cadmium nitrate. The FTIR and thermogravimetric analysis showed that the nature of capping molecule on the surface of quantum dots are different depending on the cadmium precursors which affect the emission from CdS quantum dots. Photoemission spectroscopy revealed that the emission of quantum dots prepared by cadmium acetate has high intensity band edge emission along with low intensity trapping state emission. However the CdS quantum dots prepared by cadmium chloride and cadmium nitrate produced only trapping state emissions.

Ternary ZnXCd1−XS particles were directly immobilized on graphene sheets by a facile solvothermal route with zinc acetate, cadmium acetate and thiourea as precursors, ethylene glycol as reaction solvent and graphene oxide as support. The value of x could be adjusted by controlling the molar ratio of Zn and Cd precursors. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope and ultraviolet–visible absorption. The photoelectric properties of the graphene-ZnXCd1−XS composites were investigated by transient photocurrent responses and electrochemical impedance spectra, and the results show that the obvious increase in the photocurrent density and decrease in electron-transfer resistance can be seen for graphene-Zn0.8Cd0.2S composites as compared to graphene-ZnXCd1−XS composites with other Zn/Cd ratios.

Synthesis and characterizations of copper cadmium sulphide (CCS) thin films as potential absorber layer for low-cost thin films solar cells has been reported. Thin films of CCS were dip-coated from clear molecular ink consists of copper acetate, cadmium acetate and thiourea dissolved in methanol. Films were heated at 200 °C in air for 15 min. The effect of film thickness on the compositional, morphological, optical and electrical properties were investigated using x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, UV–vis spectrophotometer and Hall measurement system. Optical band gap of the films estimated from the Tauc relation was found to be ~2.3 eV. Films are compact and void free having interconnected spherical grains. XRD and Raman spectroscopy confirmed the formation of hexagonal CCS without the formation of any secondary phases. The films are p-type and showed photoconductivity. Temperature variation of electrical conductivity of films measured in the temperature range from 300 to 475 K reveals nearest neighbour hopping (NNH) and thermionic emission (TE) over grain boundary (GB) barriers (GBB) below and above 400 K, respectively. Dip-coated CCS thin films found suitable for the fabrication of thin film solar cells at low cost.

The present work focuses on the synthesis of pure SnS2 nanopowder, pure CdO nanopowder and SnS2-CdO nanocomposite by a cost effective chemical method using tin (II) chloride, thiourea and cadmium acetate as the precursor salts. The synthesized samples were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy(EDS), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier Transmission Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR), UV–Vis diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, Photoluminescence (PL) Spectroscopy and Electron spin resonance (ESR). Diffraction peaks related to both SnS2 and CdO was observed in the XRD pattern of the composite. Photocatalytic studies established that the composite exhibit a photodegradation efficiency of nearly equal to 86.11% against rhodamine B and 92.86% against congo red dyes. Also, the SnS2-CdO nanocomposite exhibited enhanced photocatalytic H2 evolution activity, from visible light water splitting.

In this paper, cadmium sulfide (CdS), sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon dots (S,N-CDs) and cadmium sulfide/sulfur and nitrogen co-doped carbon dots (CdS/S,N-CDs) were prepared via hydrothermal route. Cadmium acetate dihydrate, thiourea and citric acid were applied as a source of cadmium, sulfur and carbon respectively. Thiourea plays dual role as a dopant source for doping of carbon dots and sulfur source for the synthesis of cadmium sulfide. The influence of hydrothermal temperature on the morphology of CdS and CdS/S,N-CDs was determined in terms of structure, size and morphology through X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis. Results showed that temperature has a significant effect on the morphology of cadmium sulfide. Homogenous flower like morphology of CdS in 160 °C was converted to non-homogenous worm-like particles at 200 °C. Moreover, the flower-like morphology of CdS was converted to the particle morphology during the preparation of CdS/S,N-CDs since the acidity of solution is changed for the presence of citric acid. After morphological and structural engineering, nitrogen and sulfur co-doped carbon dots and CdS/S,N-CDs were applied in dye sensitized solar cells. The JSC of S,N-CDs and CdS/S,N-CDs were measured 14.07 and 18.38 mA/cm2 respectively. Results showed that the VOC equal to 0.61 V for CDs while decreased to 0.59 V in CdS/S,N-CDs case. Although VOC decreased, hole PCE show improvement in CdS/S,N-CDs case, PCE enhanced from 3.44% to 5.7%.

One-pot three-component Arbuzov-type reaction, involving anhydrous cadmium acetate, dimethyl sulfite, and tetraethylammonium iodide, has produced the cadmate salt, [Et4N]2 [Cd(OMs)4] (1) revealing weakly-coordinating methanesulfonate (OMs) ligands inside the metal-coordination sphere. The ‘ate’ salt 1 was found useful as a precursor in the preparation of coordination polymers with compositions, [Cd(OMs)2 (MeOH)]n (2) and [Cd(OMs)2(H2O)2]n (3), when subjected to crystallization in a methanol/chloroform mixture, in dry and ambient conditions, respectively. Compounds 1–3 were characterized by spectroscopic [1H, 13C NMR, FT-IR] techniques, and elemental and thermogravimetric analysis, while the structural attributes of 2 and 3 were investigated using single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The composition of 1 was further scrutinized by electrospray-ionization mass-spectrometry (ESI-MS). The crystal structure of 2 exhibits formation of a two-dimensional (2-D) layer facilitated by the bidentate (μ2) and tridentate (μ3) modes of coordination of sulfonate ligands around the metal center. The structure of 3 demonstrates the formation of 1-D linear chains, comprising of eight-membered cyclic [−Cd–O–S–O−] rings, owing to the bridging bidentate (μ2) mode of coordination of the sulfonate ligands. The involvement of hydrogen-bond interactions in 2 and 3 further perpetuates the assemblies into 2-D and 3-D supramolecular coordination polymers, respectively. This paper reports noticeable features such as, (a) cadmate dianion was afforded by the in situ generation of methanesulfonate ligands and subsequent complexation to the Cd(II) atom; (b) ability of alkanesulfonate ligand to display flexible coordinating behaviour [(μ2 and uncommon (μ3)] and prolific H-bond acceptor; (c) competitive ligation between strong coordinating solvents (MeOH and H2O) and weakly-coordinating methanesulfonate ligands; (d) effect of types and number of solvent molecules around the metal center with their participation in non-covalent interactions in bringing variation in the structural outcome; (e) the values of distances of Cd–O bonds in 1 and 2 fall in the range of 2.24 A to 2.29 A, suggesting the presence of direct metal-sulfonate interactions. The dispersion-corrected density functional theory (DFT-D) and Bader’s quantum theory of atoms in molecule (QTAIM) (primary and secondary) studies explored the structures, electronics, and non-covalent interactions of compounds 2 and 3. Additionally, among different involved non-covalent interactions, Hirshfeld surface analysis emphasized the presence of O⋯H/H⋯O contacts as the dominant intermolecular non-covalent interactions as the consolidating factor in crystal packing, in both compounds.

Thin mixed CdSe-CdS-Ag2Se-Ag2S films were deposited on a polyamide 6 (PA) surface by successfully using a cation-exchange reaction between Cd2+ and Ag+ to convert CdSe-CdS into Ag2Se-Ag2S. These were deposited using a K2SeS2O6 precursor solution at 60 °C followed by cadmium acetate (Cd(CH3COO)2). An aqueous AgNO3 solution was used as the Ag source. XRD patterns showed a complex PA-Cd-S-Se-Ag film crystalline composition with CdS, CdSe, Ag2S and Ag2Se peaks. Calculated dislocation density ranged within 5–15 × 1013 lines·m−2 indicating high quality atomic layers. Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy (AAS) showed five- to ten-fold excess of chalcogens to metals in the thin films formed. No chalcogenides were observed on the sample surface during XPS analysis after Ag exchange due to the desorption of CdS and CdSe layers, not diffused into the bulk of the polymer suggesting that silver chalcogenides were located subsurface, as opposed to the outermost layer, likely comprised of Ag2O.

Composition-tunable ZnXCd1−XS–graphene ternary composites were synthesized via a one-step hydrothermal method with cadmium acetate as cadmium precursor, zinc acetate as zinc precursor, thiourea as sulfur precursors and graphene oxide as support. The molar ratio of Zn and Cd in the composites was controlled by adjusting the relative amounts of the starting materials, and the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscope. The photoelectric properties of ZnXCd1−XS–graphene composites with different Zn/Cd ratios were evaluated by transient photocurrent response and three-electrode cyclic voltammetry, and the results show that the photocurrent density and the specific electrochemical capacitance of ZnXCd1−XS–graphene increase gradually with the increase of the Zn/Cd ratio and reach the maximum at the Zn/Cd radio of 0.8:0.2.

Cd1−xZnxS nanoparticles (x = 0–1.0) have been synthesized via a facile thermal decomposition approach using cadmium acetate, zinc acetate and thiourea at 200 °C in diphenyl ether. The structural, morphological, compositional and optical properties of the Cd1−xZnxS nanoparticles have been investigated by powder X-ray diffraction, field emission scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Solid solutions are formed at lower concentration of zinc (x ≤ 0.6) while phase separation occurs at higher concentration of zinc (x > 0.6) The crystallite size of Cd1−xZnxS nanoparticles lies in the range 3.9–5 nm and the energy dispersive X-ray analysis reveals uniform distribution of zinc, cadmium and sulfur in the solid solutions. The band gap of Cd1−xZnxS nanoparticles is tunable and the band gap varies from 2.36 to 2.99 eV.