Over the past few years there has been sustained interest in the synthesis, characterization and application of cadmium sulphide (CdS) nanostructures such as nanoparticles, nanowires, nanobelts, nanospheres. The history of CdS, more recent advances in the chemistry and synthesis of CdS nanostructures, and their application as nanoscale devices in diverse technology areas from electronics to targeted drug delivery is described. Although the focus is on CdS, the review provides an excellent overview of the materials, methods, processes and promising solutions that are emerging.