The synthesis and structure of a cadmium complex of dimorpholinodithioacetylacetonate and its use as single source precursor for CdS thin films or nanorods.

A facile method for the preparation of dimorpholides of dithioacetylacetonate is described together with a X-ray single crystal structure of the ligand and of [Cd(msacmsac)(2)(NO(3))(2)] (msacmsac = dimorpholinodithioacetylacetonate). The cadmium complex has been used as a single source precursor for the deposition of the CdS thin films by the aerosol assisted chemical vapour deposition (AACVD) method or as nanorods by thermolysis in oleylamine. The thin films and nanorods were characterized by electronic spectra (UV-Vis), photoluminescence (PL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). To the best of our knowledge [Cd(msacmsac)(2)(NO(3))(2)] is the first complex in its class to be used as a single source precursor to deposit CdS thin films or nanoparticles.