Photocatalytic activity, nanostructure and optical properties of 3D ZnS urchin-like via hydrothermal method

• Main Authors: Mehran Riazian, Maryam Yousefpoor
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2020-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Smart and Nano Materials
• Subjects: nanostructure; urchin-like; hydrothermal method; optical properties
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/19475411.2019.1710001

In the present research, the fabrication and characterization of ZnS urchin-like nanoparticles (ULNPs) via simple, template free and one-step hydrothermal method are reported. Zinc acetate dihydrate, thiosemicarbazide and ethylenediamine are utilized as precursors. Nanostructure characterization of three-dimension ZnS ULNPs is specified by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity of ZnS NPs is determined by measuring the degradation of an organic dye methylene orange (MO) under UV-irradiation. The lattice characteristics such as nanocrystallite size, strain, stress, and deformation energy density are specified using Williamson-Hall (W-H) and Halder-Wagner (H-W) analysis with different considerations about the isotropic nature of the crystal. XRD analysis reveals that ZnS NPs are hexagonal wurtzite phase. The shape and mean diameter of NPs are demonstrated by TEM and SEM techniques to be 3D urchin-like with an average size of 60 nm. N2 adsorption-desorption and UV-Vis spectroscopies are utilized to specify the optical characteristics such as mean pore diameter, total pore size, and BET special surface area. The band gap of fabrication ZnS NPs has been evaluated from the Tauc equation and absorption edge to be 3.84 eV.