Characterization of PbS nanoparticles trapped in Y zeolite by X ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy

Abstract

The present study examines the PbS semiconductor nanoparticles trapped in Y zeolite synthesized at room temperature via a simple chemical reaction when 2-mercaptoethanol noted RSH was used with a different amounts as a sulfur source. The obtained samples were calcined at various temperatures (T = 100 - 550°C). X ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the samples at different steps of their elaboration. After thiol addition, the X-rays diffraction reveals the formation of galena lead sulfide phase. The PbS crystallite size, is about 20 nm. After calcinations XRD patterns present the features of PbS. These results are in good agreement with SEM observations which show rod-shapped crystallites corresponding to the first series of samples (ɸ = 20-50 nm, l = 5-10 μm). In the second series the crystallites form clusters at 550°C with an average size of 20-50 nm.