Synthesis and characterization of ZnSe and ZnSe:Mn nanosheets and microflowers with high photoactive properties by microwave-assisted method

Abstract

Zinc selenide (ZnSe) and manganese-doped zinc selenide (ZnSe:Mn) nanosheet and microflower morphologies were successfully fabricated in only 15–25 min in solvothermal reactions under microwave irradiation. In order to compare the effect of microwave heating on the properties of obtained ZnSe nanocrystals, the synthesis under conventional heating was conducted additionally in similar conditions. The obtained nanocrystals were systematically characterized in terms of structural and optical properties using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), diffuse reflectance UV–vis spectroscopy (DR UV–vis), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Atomic Absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area analysis. ZnSe and ZnSe:Mn nanosheets were synthesized with the length of 300–600 nm, width of 150–400 nm, and thickness about 10–30 nm. The photocatalytic activity of ZnSe and ZnSe:Mn nanocrystals with different morphologies was evaluated by the degradation of methyl orange (MO). The results show that all samples had high coefficient of degradation of MO under ultraviolet irradiation (UV). Manganese-doped ZnSe nanocrystals exhibited superior photocatalytic activity and can offer many wide opportunities and perspectives in the field of photocatalysis and solar energy conversion.