Synthesis of CdWO4 nanoparticles by sol-gel and co-precipitation methods and study of their morphologies

In this research, cadmium tungstate (CWO) nanoparticles were produced in two simple and low cost methods sol-gel and co-precipitation. Morphological studies and characterization analyzes by XRD, SEM, and TEM showed that the size of crystallites in sol-gel and co-precipitation methods was approximately equal (30 and 32 nm); sol-gel method produces larger nanoparticles (100 nm) with a more uniform distribution; the co-precipitation method produces smaller nanoparticles (62 nm) with a wider distribution; the aggregation rate in the co-precipitation method was higher than the sol-gel method. The characteristic of s1Na at 1070 eV in the XPS results of sol-gel nanoparticles along with the peaks of the main elements of cadmium tungstate such as Cd3d, W4f, and O1s at around 415, 40, and 537eV indicated that higher particle purity in the co-precipitation method. EDXS-map shows the uniform presence and distribution of atoms in nanoparticles, so both methods can be good methods for producing CWO nanoparticles with suitable structural properties for use in various fields, including the fabrication of photovoltaic and scintillator components.