One-pot synthesis of CdS nanoparticles exhibiting quantum size effect prepared within a sol–gel derived ureasilicate matrix

[Display omitted] •The one-pot synthesis of CdS NPs within an ureasilicate matrix was achieved.•CdS NPs showed size-dependent optical properties due to quantum confinement.•The crystalline nature of the nanoparticles was verified by HRTEM analysis. This paper describes a novel single-pot synthesis process based on sol–gel for the production of a highly transparent hybrid matrix containing CdS nanoparticles (NPs). The reaction between cadmium and sulphide ions in the presence of 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) that originates the formation of quantum confined CdS NPs occurs simultaneously with the condensation and polymerization of the gel precursors that evolves to a macromolecular hybrid organic–inorganic network. The obtained xerogel matrix is based on the reaction of organically modified alkoxysilane (3-isocyanatepropyltriethoxysilane) and a di-amine functionalized oligopolyoxyethylene (Jeffamine ED-600). The final material is characterized as highly transparent, homogeneous and flexible xerogel incorporating stabilized and high crystalline CdS NPs that exhibit size-dependent optical properties due to quantum confinement of photogenerated e-h pairs as observed from UV–visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy and HRTEM microscopy measurements. The developed approach has obvious advantages comparatively to the alternative and more complex routes of production of composite materials with embedded semiconductor NPs because of the simplified one-pot preparative procedure used. The developed sol–gel process allows the control of the optical characteristics of the obtained CdS NPs embedded within the network by adjusting the molar ratio between cadmium ion and MPTMS and between cadmium and sulphide ions.