High-yield, high-purity CdS nanostructures were synthesized in a turf-like configuration using an improved vapor-liquid-solid method. To increase the yield, a compartment arrangement was employed. The specific kind of nanostructure fabricated was found to be directly dependent on the temperature in the compartment. Along with the high-yield growth of CdS nanorods, nanowires, and nanobelts, intertwined structures were also observed, and the electron field emission property of the intertwined structures was investigated and compared with that of other type of nanostructures. Photoluminescence measurements at 10 K showed a peak emission from the CdS nanostructures at 485 nm. Copyright (c) 2008 Joshua M. Green et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.