Template-directed assembly of ZnS nanoclusters into uniform nanosheets

Abstract

Uniform wurtzite ZnS nanosheets were synthesized through the growth of template-directed aggregation from small nanoclusters at room temperature. The process involved the fabrication of ZnS nanoclusters using ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid (EDTA) as stabilizer and the subsequent arrangement of these nanoclusters into sheet-like nanostructures in the presence of butylamine (BA). Interestingly, upon their organization into nanosheets, the quantum-confined effect of ZnS nanoclusters retained.