Template-free non-aqueous electrochemical growth of CdO nanorods

The direct template-free synthesis and characterization of CdO nanorods (NRs) obtained through electrochemical reduction process of molecular oxygen (O2) in a dimethylsulfoxide solution containing CdCl2are reported. X-ray diffraction characterization of the NRs shows that the CdO phase was obtained without the presence of any other secondary phases. In agreement with the aspect ratio of a typical nanorod structure, CdO NRs presented average diameters of ca. 170 nm and average lengths of ca. 920 nm. Current results also demonstrate that the employed electrochemical synthesis route favors the growth of NRs with a preferred crystallographic orientation along the [200] axis direction. The synthesized CdO NRs exhibited a n-type semiconductor character with a donor carrier concentration of ND = 4.3 x 1019 cm-3.