On the preparation of zinc sulphide powders from single-source molecular precursors: thermal descomposition of zinc diethyldithiocarbamate

Abstract

Zinc sulphide (ZnS) nanocrystalline powders were synthesised by thermal decomposition of zinc diethyldithiocarbamate used as single-source molecular precursor (SSMP). Two samples of SSMP were prepared in aqueous medium, from sodium diethyldithiocarbamate and zinc acetate solutions, using two different precipitation methods, namely the reagent sequential addition technique (SeqAdd) and the reagent simultaneous addition technique (SimAdd). Attempts to prepare manganese doped zinc sulphide powders (ZnS:Mn2+) from zinc-manganese diethyldithiocarbamate precursors were also performed. The SSMP and un-doped and Mn-doped zinc sulphide powders were characterized by thermal analysis, infrared absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence measurements and scanning electron microscopy. It was revealed that luminescent ZnS powders with under-micron particles could be prepared by both the precipitation technique; SimAdd route seems to be favourable to the synthesis of smaller particles. No efficient luminescent ZnS:Mn2+ powders could be obtained by our synthesis route.