A convenient ultrasonic irradiation technique for in situ synthesis of zinc sulfide nanocrystallites at room temperature

Nanocrystalline ZnS has been synthesized using a sonochemical reaction of a mixed solution of Zn(NO3)(2), Na2S2O3 and (CH3)(2)(OH)CH in Ar under ambient conditions. Detailed investigations with X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) are reported. It was found that phase-pure ZnS nanocrystallites were produced, and the ZnS nanoparticles were about 6.5 nm in size, as indicated by TEM observation. The chemical mechanism for the formation of ZnS nanocrystals is discussed. This convenient method is found to be an efficient way to produce other chalcogenides as well.