In situ growth of aligned CdS nanowire arrays on Cd foil and their optical and electron field emission properties

Aligned CdS nanowire arrays have been fabricated directly on a Cd foil via a simple solvothermal method. The metal Cd foil serves as both the Cd source and substrate during fabrication of the aligned CdS nanowire arrays. The morphology, structure, and composition of the samples are characterized by x-ray diffraction, field-emission scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy, and selected-area electron diffraction, and the results reveal the formation of aligned single-crystalline CdS nanowires with uniform diameters of 20-40 nm. The photoluminescence and Raman spectra disclose the optical properties of the products and the possible growth mechanism is suggested. The electron field emission properties are also investigated and analyzed. The screening effect is observed to play a vital role in the electron field emission properties due to the coalescent ends of the nanowires. The simple synthesis methodology in conjunction with the good field emission and optical properties makes the materials both scientifically and technologically interesting. © 2008 American Institute of Physics.