Hydrazine-cadmium tellurite hybrid microcrystals: An efficient precursor to porous cadmium telluride and tellurium architectures through its thermal decomposition

Abstract

Well-defined platelet-like hydrazine-cadmium tellurite hybrid microcrystals have been synthesized by a solvothermal reaction of cadmium chloride, sodium tellurite, and hydrazine hydrate in a mixed solvent containing n-propylamine and deionized water. The formula of the hybrid platelet-like microcrystals has been proposed based on a combination of powder X-ray diffraction pattern (PXRD), elemental analysis, thermogravimetic analysis (TGA), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Controlled thermal decomposition of this hybrid precursor can lead to the formation of porous platelet-like microarchitectures. Pure porous cadmium telluride architectures were obtained by using hydrochloric acid to dissolve CdTeO3 remaining in the sample after thermal decomposition at 450°C. In addition, unique nanoporous tellurium architectures were obtained by using hydrochloric acid to dissolve the amorphous Cd(N2H4)TeO3 formed after thermal decomposition at 300 °C, followed by an in situ topotactic reaction between the residual three-dimensional (3-D) skeleton of cadmium telluride nanocrystallites s and TeO32−. Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis and a study of the optical properties of these porous cadmium telluride and tellurium materials have also been carried out.