Synthesis of Cd(OH)Cl hollow nano-spiremes from a dipolar binary liquid system and their conversion to Cd(OH)2 hollow nano-spiremes

A new dipolar binary liquid strategy has been developed for Cd(OH)Cl hollow nano-spireme synthesis, in which different Cd(OH)Cl nanostructures including 1D nanostructures (nanorods, nanobelts, nanowires and nanorod arrays), 2D nanostructures (nanoplates), 3D nanostructures (nanocubes and hollow microspheres) have been easily obtained without using any templates or catalysts. A series of comparison experiments demonstrate that OH- and Cd2+ ion concentrations play significant roles for the nanostructures' formation in this dipolar binary liquid system. Through a simple anion-exchange process at room temperature, the as-prepared Cd(OH)Cl nanostructures (nanowires and hollow nano-spiremes, etc.) have been converted into the corresponding Cd(OH)(2) 1D nanostructures, in which the primary Cd(OH)Cl nano-frameworks can be preserved. Research of the electrochemical properties of Cd(OH)(2) hollow nano-spiremes has demonstrated their high capacity as Ni-Cd battery negative materials due to their interesting ordered hollow nanostructures.