Low-temperature solid-state synthesis and optical properties of CdS–ZnS and ZnS–CdS alloy nanoparticles

Abstract

A simple low-temperature solid-state synthetic method was employed to obtain ZnS–CdS and CdS–ZnS alloy nanoparticles. The effects of reaction sequence, reactant molar ratios, and synthesis temperature on the products were investigated. The crystal structure and morphology of the products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The results show that the products are alloy nanoparticles with a cubic phase structure. The formation mechanism of the alloy nanoparticles is briefly discussed. Sufficient grinding and crystalline water may be essential to form alloy nanoparticles. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectra show that the edge absorptions of the CdS–ZnS and ZnS–CdS nanoparticles were located between those of ZnS and CdS bulks, and the absorbance at the peak maximum was practically dependent on reaction temperature, reaction sequence, and molar ratio. Extrinsic deep-level emission resulted in strong peaks in the photoluminescence (PL) spectra. The position and intensity of the emission peaks varied with the conditions during synthesis.