One step synthesis and characterization of CdS nanorod/graphene nanosheet composite

► CdS nanorod/graphene nanosheet nanocomposite was synthesized by one-step pyrolysis process. ► Well-dispersed and coated CdS nanorods were obtained by acid treatment method. ► The acid-treated nanocomposite presented remarkable fluorescence quenching effect. In this work, an one-step approach to synthesize a CdS nanorod/graphene nanosheet (CdS/GNS) nanocomposite by the pyrolysis of a single-source precursor (bis(2-mercaptobenzothiazolato)-cadmium (II)) under nitrogen atmosphere were reported. X-ray diffraction result showed that the CdS nanorods belong to hexagonal crystal system. Transmission electron microscopy observations demonstrated that the CdS nanorods were coated by the graphene nanosheets effectively. Furthermore, the optical properties of the CdS/GNS nanocomposite were characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy. The nanocomposite displayed remarkable fluorescence quenching effect, implying that there was a high-efficiency energy transfer between graphene nanosheets and coated CdS nanorods, which could be applied in new optoelectronic or photovoltaic devices.