CdO Nanoparticles by Thermal Decomposition of a Cadmium- Hexamethylenetetramine Complex

Abstract

CdO nanoparticles have been prepared by the thermal decomposition of a precursor complex. A simple and cost effective room temperature synthetic technique allows the preparation of the precursor complex from hexamethylenetetramine and cadmium nitrate in ethanol. The precursor, characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and thermal gravimetric analysis, had the composition [{Cd(HMTA)(NO3)2(H2O)2}n]. It was calcined at 500 ºC for 2 h, and the cadmium oxide nanoparticles obtained was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy, high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Nitrogen adsorption and physisorption, and Selected Area Electron Diffraction (SAED). XRD shows that the CdO obtained is pure and crystalline. The particles obtained had a cubic morphology and are mesoporous.