CdS nanoparticles, prepared in reverse micellar systems, were incorporated into thiol-modified MCM-41 (FM41) mesoporous material, of differing pore sizes, designated as large (L-FM41), middle (M-FM41), and small (S-FM41). A particle-sieving effect of the FM41 was observed, in that the incorporation of the CdS nanoparticles was decreased by increased size of particle, and by a decreasing pore size of the FM41. The resulting CdS−FM41 composite showed photocatalytic activity for H2 generation from water.

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The incorporation of CdS nanoparticles, as prepared in reverse micellar systems, into silica matrices, via a sol± gel process, was investigated. The silica colloids containing CdS nanoparticles, CdS±COL, were prepared via the surface modi®cation of CdS nanoparticles using 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane in reverse micelles. The recovery and dispersion of the nanoparticles was performed in an appropriate organic solvent, followed by a sol±gel process, using TMOS (tetramethyl orthosilicate) or TEOS (tetraethyl orthosilicate) in MeOH or EtOH solution. The size and morphology of the resulting CdS±COL was able to be controlled by changes in the silica source and the organic solvents. A CdS±COL stable against photoirradiation and heat treatment was able to be prepared which could be utilized as a photocatalyst for the generation of H 2 from propan-2-ol aqueous solution. The silica bulk glass containing the CdS nanoparticles, CdS±GLA, was also prepared, such that the cut off wavelength of the glass could be precisely controlled by regulating the water content (W o ) for the reverse micellar system, during CdS preparation.