Surface chemistry controls crystallinity of ZnS nanoparticles

Nano Lett. 2006 Apr;6(4):605-10. doi: 10.1021/nl052201c.

Abstract

Combined small-angle and high energy wide-angle X-ray scattering measurements of nanoparticle size and structure permit interior strain and disorder to be observed directly in the real-space pair distribution function (PDF). PDF analysis showed that samples of ZnS nanoparticles with similar mean diameters (3.2-3.6 nm) but synthesized and treated with different low-temperature procedures possess a dramatic range of interior disorder. We used Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy to detect the surface species and the nature of surface chemical interactions. Our results suggest that there is a direct correlation between the strength of surface-ligand interactions and interior crystallinity.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization / methods*
  • Materials Testing
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure*
  • Nanotechnology / methods*
  • Particle Size
  • Sulfides / analysis
  • Sulfides / chemistry*
  • Surface Properties
  • Zinc Compounds / analysis
  • Zinc Compounds / chemistry*

Substances

  • Sulfides
  • Zinc Compounds
  • zinc sulfide