Investigation of composition dependent structural and optical properties of the Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S, coaxial Zn(0.99-x)Cd(x)Cu(0.01)S/ZnS, Zn(0.99-x)Cd(x)Mn(0.01)S nanorods generated by a one-step hydrothermal process.

High-quality Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S, coaxial Zn(0.99-x)Cd(x)Cu(0.01)S/ZnS and Zn(0.99-x)Cd(x)Mn(0.01)S nanorods (NRs) were synthesized through a one-step hydrothermal method. The composition of the alloyed NRs was adjusted by controlling the Zn/Cd molar ratios. The results showed that all of the samples had a good crystallinity with the typical hexagonal wurtzite structure. The Zn/Cd molar ratios and Cu and Mn doping played an important role in affecting the final structure, morphology and optical properties of the alloyed NRs. The successive shift of the XRD and PL patterns indicated that the NRs obtained were not a mixture of ZnS and CdS, but the Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S solid solution. After doping Cu(2+) (1%) ions into the Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S NRs, the samples exhibited highly crystalline coaxial Zn(0.99-x)Cd(x)Cu(0.01)S/ZnS core-shell NRs and showed a strong green emission peak centered at 509.6 nm. After doping Mn(2+) (1%) ions into the Zn(1-x)Cd(x)S NRs, the samples exhibited a better crystal quality and showed a strong yellow-orange emission peak centered at 583 nm.