Ligand-assisted fabrication of hollow CdSe nanospheres via Ostwald ripening and their microwave absorption properties

Hollow CdSe nanospheres were successfully synthesized by a ligand-assisted solvothermal method based on an Ostwald ripening mechanism. The hollow CdSe nanospheres were synthesized in benzyl alcohol under solvothermal conditions using Cd(Ac)₂ and Se as the precursors, and tryptophan as a ligand. The resulting hollow structures consisted of small nanocrystallite building blocks. More importantly, the hollow CdSe nanospheres could be used as an excellent microwave absorber for cm- and mm-wave absorption, depending on the thickness of the absorber.