Synthesis and Characterizations of ZnS:Cu/ZnS Assisted by 3-Mercaptopropionic Acid

Abstract

3-Mercaptopropionic acid capped core/shell ZnS:Cu(3%)/ZnS doped quantum dots (QDs) where synthesized at 95 °C in basic aqueous solution using the nucleation doping approach methods. The structural and optical properties of the QDs were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) which confirms the cubic phase blende, whereas transmission electron microscopy (TEM) which shows the nanoparticles are spherical. UV–vis spectroscopy and photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy. The obtained nearly monodisperse QDs have an average diameter of ca. 3.31 nm and a zinc blende crystal structure. The PL emission wavelength was limited between 500 and 510 nm but PL quantum efficiency of ZnS:Cu/ZnS core/shell nanocrystals increased up to 5%. The experimental results demonstrate that this method is effective for the preparation of ZnS:Cu/ZnS quantum dots.