Decoration of multiwall nanotubes with cadmium sulfide nanoparticles

This study focuses on in situ synthesis of US nanoparticles on the surfaces of multiwalled carbon nanotubes. By chemical reaction of cadmium chloride and thioacetamide in the solution with carbon nanotubes, which were pretreated by air oxidization and acid modification, cadmium sulfide natioparticles densely supported on carbon nanotubes with 10 nm size and homogeneous distribution were prepared. The composite material with the composite structure of US decorating the nanotube surfaces was characterized using scanning electron microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and electron diffraction pattern. The CdS nanoparticles are of cubic crystal structure, show good adhesion to the nanotubes. This method can be extended to prepare other inorganic nanoparticle-carbon nanotube composites. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.