Materials · 2016 · 15 citations · 31 references
Natural SciencesMaterials EngineeringMaterials ScienceNanomaterialsNanotechnologyOptical MaterialsInorganic NanoparticlesMetal Oxide NanomaterialsNanomaterial CharacterizationOxide SemiconductorsPhotoelectrochemical MaterialsSemiconductor NanomaterialsCrystal Defects During GrowthFilm DepositionHydrothermal GrowthMetal Sulfide NanomaterialsOptical PropertiesOptical Properties Of Metal Oxide NanomaterialsSurface Optical PropertiesZinc Oxide Nanostructures
The ZnO-CdS core-shell composite nanorods with CdS shell layer thicknesses of 5 and 20 nm were synthesized by combining the hydrothermal growth of ZnO nanorods with the sputtering thin-film deposition of CdS crystallites. The microstructures and optical properties of the ZnO-CdS nanorods were associated with the CdS shell layer thickness. A thicker CdS shell layer resulted in a rougher surface morphology, more crystal defects, and a broader optical absorbance edge in the ZnO-CdS rods. The ZnO-CdS (20 nm) nanorods thus engaged in more photoactivity in this study. When they were further subjected to a postannealing procedure in ambient Ar/H₂, this resulted in the layer-like CdS shell layers being converted into the serrated CdS shell layers. By contrast, the ZnO-CdS nanorods conducted with the postannealing procedure exhibited superior photoactivity and photoelectrochemical performance; the substantial changes in the microstructures and optical properties of the composite nanorods following postannealing in this study might account for the observed results.
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