Cadmiun selenide (CdSe) is an attractive semiconductor material from technical and scientific standpoints thanks to their versatility and capability to be obtained as nanostructured film and powder with particle sizes at micro and nanoscale. CdSe nanostructures have been recognized as very interesting materials given their excellent optical and electrical properties, arising from the reduction of their size. In addition, it is considered a promising semiconductor material by their potential applications in biological, biomedical, electronic and optoelectronic fields, ranging from bioassays, bioprobes, biosensors, sensors, solar cells, and others optoelectronic devices. CdSe is an inorganic compound exhibiting a band gap of 1.74 eV and it has a similar behavior to the n-type semiconductors, density of 5.816 g/cm3, melting point of 1268 °C, and refractive index (nD) of 2.5. Moreover, CdSe exhibits high crystallinity degree, adopts micro and nanostructured morphologies, and presents three different polymorphic forms, denominated wurtzite (hexagonal), sphalerite (cubic) and rock-salt (cubic). CdSe crystalline characteristics have an influence on their optical and electrical performance, strongly linked to the processing conditions used to synthesize it. Consequently, the study of novel, innovative, cheap, and sustainable synthesis methods and materials must be a priority in semiconductor field for the discovery of material with superior optical and electrical properties and behaviors, because, it allows the design and the development of novel electronics and optoelectronics devices with higher efficiency, better behavior, and superior stability in the operation conditions. In the present work, an approach for the synthesis of CdSe nanospheres by solution growth using nitrite tetrahydrate (Cd(NO3)2.4H2O), selenourea [SeC(NH2)2], glycine, and pH buffer (borate) is proposed. In summary, microstructural, chemical, and optical characterizations of synthesized CdSe by FESEM/EDS, DRX, and UV-Vis spectroscopy techniques are reported. Characterization results confirm the formation of CdSe nanospheres (a) containing Cd and Se (b) with an average atomic composition of 48.62 and 51.38 %, respectively. Lastly, synthesized CdSe nanospheres correspond to cubic crystalline structure commonly named sphalerite (c) and they present an optical band gap of 1.70 eV.
Photonic & plasmonic nanomaterials , Optical properties of nanostructures
