Growth of long CdS nanowires using a carboxylic acid-functionalized self-assembled monolayer as substrate

We report a novel result that long CdS nanowires with typical width of 70–80 nm and length ranging from several micrometers to tens of micrometers can be obtained by the in situ growth on substrate of a carboxylic acid-functionalized self-assembled monolayer (SAM), which formed from a rigid aromatic molecule on mica surfaces. The as-grown CdS nanowires were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). A possible mechanism that accounts for the formation of the one-dimensional (1D) nanowires was also discussed.