Pair distribution function analysis on nanocrystalline semiconductors ZnS and CdS

Abstract

Nanosized Zinc sulfide (ZnS) and Cadmium sulfide (CdS) are essential materials for various applications, and understanding their atomic arrangement is critical for enhancing their performance. ZnS and CdS nanoparticles were synthesized via the chemical co-precipitation method using methacrylic acid as a surfactant. Angle dispersive x-ray diffraction (ADXRD), and pair distribution function (PDF) were utilized to evaluate structural parameters and atomic structures, respectively. It was confirmed that both samples have a Zink Blend structure. Optical properties and band gaps were estimated using UV–vis spectra. The PDF analysis provided detailed information on the Bravais lattices, lattice parameters, cation-cation, and cation–anion distances in ZnS and CdS. Our results show that methacrylic acid is an effective surfactant for synthesizing high-quality ZnS and CdS nanoparticles with well-defined atomic structures. Specifically, the cation–anion distance for Zn-S was found to be 0.2326 nm, and the cation-cation distance for Zn-Zn was 0.3798 nm, while the cation–anion distances for Cd-S and Cd-Cd were found to be 0.251 nm and 0.41 nm, respectively. Overall, our study demonstrates the effectiveness of PDF analysis in investigating the atomic structure of nanomaterials, and these findings could have important implications for the development of advanced nanomaterials for various applications.[copyright information to be updated in production process]