Surfactant-assisted fabrication of PbS nanorice at low temperature in aqueous solution

In this work, we report the fabrication of uniform PbS nanorice via a simple aqueous solution route using cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant at low temperature (50 °C) for 2 h. The morphology, structure and optical properties of the products were characterized by means of XRD, FESEM, TEM and UV–Vis-NIR absorption spectroscopy. The as-prepared PbS nanorice have an equatorial diameter of 45–55 nm and a length of 90–150 nm. UV–Vis-NIR absorption spectrum indicated that the sample exhibits a dramatic blue-shift. The roles of CTAB and reaction temperature in the forming of PbS nanorice were discussed. Moreover, a tentative explanation for the growth mechanism of PbS nanorice has been made.