Synthesis of nanocomposite, (CdxZn1-x)S by gamma-irradiation in an aqueous system

Gamma-irradiation has been applied to synthesize the nanocomposite semiconductor constituted of zinc and cadmium sulfide Cd_1-xZn_xS ultra fine particles at room temperature by utilizing homogeneous release of S^2– ions from the decomposition of sodium thiosulfate. The structure, morphology, size and optical properties of that compound have been studied by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and ultraviolet-visible spectrometer (UV-visible). The product obtained from irradiated solutions containing zinc ions, cadmium ions and the sulfur source has been characterized as a composite of (Cd_xZn_1-x)S, with spherical morphology and with a diameter of average size of about 5.3 nm. The possible mechanism of formation of the composite is proposed.The financial support of Shanghai Science and Technology Foundation through No. 0252nm 095 is gratefully acknowledged.The authors would thank the staff of Shanghai Applied Radiation Institute of Shanghai University for their valuable contributions.     

ZnxCd1-xS纳米线的可控合成及其可调的光学性质

采用简单的气相沉积法,合成了不同组成的Zn_xCd_1-xS (0< x <1)纳米线. 利用扫描电子显微镜、透射电子显微镜和电子能谱研究了所制得的纳米线的表面形貌和组成. 该方法以Au为催化剂,简单控制起始物质的相对用量和沉积温度,可以获得可控的Zn/Cd 比例. X射线衍射结果表明所制得的Zn_xCd_1-xS纳米线具有纤维锌矿的单晶结构. 根据制得纳米线的表面形貌讨论了纳米线可能的生长机理为“底部生长”机理. 利用拉曼光谱和光致发光光谱研究了Zn_xCd_1-xS纳米线的光学性质,其纵向光学(LO)声子的拉曼位移频率随着组成的变化在ZnS和CdS的拉曼位移频率之间连续变化. 光致发光光谱中同时存在带边发光和缺陷发光. Zn_xCd_1-xS纳米线的带间跃迁的频率可随着组成的调节而调节,纳米线的禁带宽度介于ZnS (3.63 eV)和CdS (2.41 eV)的禁带宽度之间.     

Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen‐Production Performance of Graphene–ZnxCd1−xS Composites by Using an Organic S Source

In response to the increasing concerns over energy and environmental sustainability, photocatalytic water‐splitting technology has attracted broad attention for its application in directly converting solar energy to valuable hydrogen (H₂) energy. In this study, high‐efficiency visible‐light‐driven photocatalytic H₂ production without the assistance of precious‐metal cocatalysts was achieved on graphene–Zn_xCd_1?xS composites with controlled compositions. The graphene‐Zn_xCd_1?xS composites were for the first time fabricated by a one‐step hydrothermal method with thiourea as an organic S source. It was found that thiourea facilitates heterogeneous nucleation of Zn_xCd_1?xS and in situ growth of Zn_xCd_1?xS nanoparticles on graphene nanosheets. Such a scenario results in abundant and intimate interfacial contact between graphene and Zn_xCd_1?xS nanoparticles, efficient transfer of the photogenerated charge carriers, and enhanced photocatalytic activity for H₂ production. The highest H₂‐production rate of 1.06 mmol h^?1 g^?1 was achieved on a graphene–Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S composite photocatalyst with a graphene content of 0.5 wt %, and the apparent quantum efficiency was 19.8 % at 420 nm. In comparison, the graphene–Zn_xCd_1?xS composite photocatalyst prepared by using an inorganic S source such as Na₂S exhibited much lower activity for photocatalytic H₂ production. In this case, homogeneous nucleation of Zn_xCd_1?xS becomes predominant and results in insufficient and loose contact with the graphene backbone through weak van der Waals forces and a large particle size. This study highlights the significance of the choice of S source in the design and fabrication of advanced graphene‐based sulfide photocatalytic materials with enhanced activity for photocatalytic H₂ production.     

Photopolymerization of water-soluble acrylic monomers induced by colloidal CdS and Cd x Zn1 − x S nanoparticles

Photocatalytic activity of CdS and Cd _x Zn_1−x S nanoparticles in the polymerization of acrylamide and acrylic acid in aqueous solutions has been found. It has been shown that the most probable way of the photogeneration of primary radicals is the reduction of an adsorbed monomer by the conduction band electrons of the semiconductor nanoparticles, a monomer oxidation by the valence band holes and atomic hydrogen addition to a monomer being complementary photoinitiation routes. A correlation between the composition of Cd_xZn_1-xS nanoparticles and their photocatalytic activity in the acrylamide polymerization has been established. It has been shown that an increase in the quantum yield of the photopolymerization in a sequence СdS < Cd_0.75Zn_0.25S < CdS_0.5Zn_0.5S < Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S originates from a concurrent increase of the conduction band potential of the semiconductor nanoparticles. A kinetic equation of the photocatalytic acrylamide polymerization has been derived. Quantum yields of the photoinitiation have been found to be as small as 10⁻⁴ to 10⁻³.     

Template‐Free Preparation of Volvox‐like CdxZn1−xS Nanospheres with Cubic Phase for Efficient Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production

Volvox‐like Cd_xZn_1?xS solid solutions with a cubic zinc blend structure were synthesized through a template‐free ethylene glycol process. Cd(Ac)₂ ? 2 H₂O, Zn(Ac)₂ ? 2 H₂O, and thiourea are used as the starting materials and dissolved in ethylene glycol. These reaction precursors and solvent not only contributed to control over the formation of the volvox‐like spherical geometry, but also exerted vigorous domination for existence of cubic‐phase Cd_xZn_1?xS nanostructures. As‐prepared volvox‐like Cd_xZn_1?xS nanospheres have a diameter of around 100 nm with extensional shells. These samples show excellent photocatalytic H₂ evolution activity from water splitting under visible‐light irradiation without any cocatalyst or scaffolding, owing to their tunable band gap, cubic zinc blend structure, and unique hierarchical porous structure with a high surface area (as high as 95.2 m² g^?1).     

Caractérisation des couches minces de Cd1–xZnxS préparées par dépôt chimique

Cd_1–xZn_xS is an important material that can be used to make n-type window-layers for thin film heterojunction solar cells. After a theoretical study of the solution chemistry of cadmium and zinc sulphates, ammonia and thiourea corresponding to sulphurs precipitation, we have been interested in the study of the effect of some parameters (temperature and zinc concentration) on the deposition process of Cd_1–xZn_xS on a glass substrate. X-ray diffraction studies showed that this latter compound crystallises in a hexagonal wurtzite crystalline structure. The AFM analysis showed that a homogenous deposited film was obtained for x = 0.1. The different values of gap energy are in the range 2,42–2,50 eV for x values between 0.08 and 0.28.     

水热法制备NiS/Cd1-xZnxS及其高效光催化产氢性能

利用水热法制备 NiS 负载的 Cd1-xZnxS 光催化剂.结果表明：在0.35 mol?L-1 Na2SO3和0.25 mol?L-1 Na2S牺牲剂下,0.5%(摩尔分数, y) NiS/Cd0.3Zn0.7S (1840μmol?h-1)获得最好活性,是Cd0.3Zn0.7S (884μmol?h-1)的2.1倍,高于0.5%(质量分数, w) Pt (1390μmol?h-1)的产氢活性.测得其在λ=420 nm附近的表观量子效率为36.8%. X射线衍射(XRD)、紫外-可见漫反射光谱(UV-Vis DRS)、透射电子显微镜(TEM)以及X射线光电子能谱(XPS)的表征结果表明, NiS作为产氢活性位,转移光生电子,因此提高了光催化产氢活性.     

Fluorescent-Magnetic Nanostructures Based on Polymer-Quantum Dots Conjugates

Summary: In this study it is presented the synthesis and the characterization of Fluorescent-Magnetic Nanostructures based on polymer-quantum dots conjugates. Polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) was used as the capping-ligand for the preparation of Cd_xMn_1-xS semiconductor nanocrystals via aqueous colloidal chemistry. Different substitution ratios of Cd²⁺ by Mn⁺² ions were investigated aiming at the formation of stable nanoparticles with photo-luminescent and semi-magnetic properties. UV-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), Electric Paramagnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (EPR), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used to characterize the formation and the relative stability of Cd_xMn_1-xS nanoparticles. The results have showed the influence of the Mn²⁺partially replacing Cd²⁺ in the optical behavior of the quantum dots (QDs) produced. In addition, the Cd_xMn_1-xS QDs have evidenced luminescent and semi-magnetic properties. Thus, the biocompatible water-soluble polymer was effective as ligand for synthesizing and stabilizing QDs conjugates with properties allowing them to be potentially applied as imaging and labeling probes in the biomedical field.     

In situ integration of efficient photocatalyst Cu1.8S/ZnxCd1-xS heterojunction derived from a metal-organic framework

The development of photocatalysts for hydrogen evolution is a promising alternative to industrial hydrogen evolution; however, generation of high active, recyclable, inexpensive heterojunctions are still challenging. Herein, a novel strategy was developed to synthesize non-noble metal co-catalyst/solid solution heterojunctions using metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as a precursor template. By adjusting the content of MOFs, a series of Cu_1.8S/Zn_xCd_1-xS heterojunctions were obtained, and the Cu_1.8S(3.7%)/Zn_0.35Cd_0.65S sample exhibits a maximum hydrogen evolution rate of 14.27 mmol h⁻¹ g⁻¹ with an apparent quantum yield of 3.7% at 420 nm under visible-light irradiation. Subsequently, the relationship between the heterojunction and photocatalytic activity were investigated by detailed characterizations and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, which reveal that loading Cu_1.8S can efficiently extend the light absorption, meanwhile, the electrons can efficiently transfer from Zn_0.35Cd_0.65S to Cu_1.8S, thus resulting more photogenerated electrons participating in surface reactions. This result can be valuable inspirations for the exploitation of advanced materials using rationally designed nanostructures for solar energy conversion.     

New organosols of nickel sulfides,palladium sulfides,manganese sulfide,and mixed metal sulfides and their use in preparation of semiconducting polymer-metal sulfide composites

Organosols of NiS, PdS, and MnS in N,N-dimethylformamide were prepared by reaction of the metal acetate with H₂S. Organosols of mixed-metal sulfides (Zn _x Cd_1–x S, Hg _x Cd_1–x S, Hg _x Cu_1–x S, Cd _x Mn_1–x S, Hg _x Mn_1–x S, Hg _x Cd_1–x S, and Mn _x Zn_1–x S) were similarly obtained by reaction of mixtures of the metal salts with H₂S. The organosol of Zn_0.5Cd_0.5S contained particle with two particle size distributions centered at 6.5 nm and 29 nm, as revealed by Ar laser-scattering analysis. The metal sulfides are recovered by addition of Et₂O to the organosols. Zn _x Cd_1–x S thus obtained shows magnetic susceptibility in the range 0.5×10^–6–2.3×10^–6 emug^–1 depending on thex value. Addition of polymers to the organosols affords semiconducting films of metal sulfide-polymer composites.     

Photocatalytic hydrogen production using Me/Cd<Subscript>0.3</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>0.7</Subscript>S (Me = Au,Pt, Pd) catalysts: Transformation of the metallic catalyst under the action of the reaction medium

The activity and stability of Me/Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S (Me = Au, Pt, Pd) photocatalysts in the course of hydrogen production from water under the action of visible radiation have been investigated. The mechanism of activation and deactivation of the catalysts have been elucidated for the first time using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. An increase in the hydrogen evolution rate is observed for all of the catalysts at the early stages of testing. The highest hydrogen evolution rate, 5.4 μmol/min, is afforded by the 1%Pt/Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S catalyst. The activity of the Au/Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S and Pt/Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S catalysts becomes constant 7.5–9 h after the beginning of the photocatalytic test, while in the case of Pd/Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S the hydrogen evolution rate increases over the initial 6 h and then decreases. These specific features of the catalysts likely correlate with the initial state of the metals on the support surface. In particular, supported palladium is in the form of PdO, while gold and platinum are in the metallic state. The Au/Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S and Pt/Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S photocatalysts are activated due to metal encapsulation; the 1%Pd/Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S catalyst, due to the partial reduction of PdO to PdO _x . The 1%Pd/Cd_0.3Zn_0.7S catalyst is deactivated because of the aggregation of nanoparticles of the cadmium sulfide–zinc sulfide solid solution.     

Study of structural,electromagnetic and dielectric properties of cadmium substituted Ni–Zn nanosized ferrites

Sol-gel auto-combustion method was adopted to prepare Cd²⁺ ions substituted Ni–Zn nanosized ferrites having a chemical formula Ni_0.5Zn_0.5-xCd_xFe₂O₄ (0.0 $\le x\le 0.4)$. Their structural, electromagnetic, and dielectric properties were investigated by using XRD, FE-SEM, EDS, FTIR, VSM, and IS. The XRD analysis revealed a single-phase cubic structure of all samples. The addition of cadmium increased the lattice constant and cell volume of Ni–Zn ferrite due to the difference in the ionic radii between Cadmium (0.97 ?Å) and Zinc (0.74 ?Å). FESEM images showed irregularly shaped grain sizes in the range of 40 to 73 ?nm with random orientations and some agglomeration. The FTIR analysis also confirmed the presence of spinal ferrite phase functional groups in all samples. The saturation magnetization decreased (from 89.51 to 71.32 emu/g) with increasing cadmium content. However, the remanent magnetization and coercivity parameters increased with an increase in cadmium content. The dc resistivity as a function of the temperature of all samples was investigated, and the activation energies were found to be in the range of 0.48 to 0.51 ?eV. The dielectric loss decreased with increasing cadmium content. However, the dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent (tan) varied non-monotonically with increased cadmium content.     

硫化锌镉固溶体光催化分解水产氢研究现状

硫化锌镉（Cd_1-xZn_xS,0 < x < 1）固溶体因其优异的活性、可调谐的能带结构在光催化分解水制氢领域备受关注,但其较快的光生电荷复合速率和光腐蚀仍阻碍了其进一步应用。因此,研究者们针对其固有缺陷进行了大量改性工作。我们首先简述了光催化反应热力学与动力学特征,随后详细综述了近年来Cd_1-xZn_xS在光解水制氢领域的研究进展,包括其结构调控、异质结构建、杂原子掺杂等方面,简要分析了Cd_1-xZn_xS光催化分解水所面临的挑战和问题,并对近期研究进行了展望。     

Metal Cation Valency Dependence in Morphology Evolution of Cu2−xS Nanodisk Seeds and Their Pseudomorphic Cation Exchanges

A crucial parameter in the design of semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) with controllable optical, magnetic, electronic, and catalytic properties is the morphology. Herein, we demonstrate the potential of additive metal cations with variable valency to direct the morphology evolution of copper-deficient Cu_2−xS nanoparticles in the process of seed-mediated growth. In particular, the djurleite Cu_1.94S seed could evolve from disk into tetradecahedron in the presence of tin(IV) cations, whereas they merely formed sharp hexagonal nanodisks with tin(II) cations. In addition to djurleite Cu_1.94S, the tin(IV) cations could be generalized to direct the growth of roxbyite Cu_1.8S and covellite CuS nanodisk seeds into tetradecahedra. We further perform pseudomorphic cation exchanges of Cu_1.94S tetradecahedra with Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ to produce polyhedral zinc sulfide (ZnS) and cadmium sulfide (CdS) NPs. Moreover, we achieve Cu_1.8S/ZnS and Cu_1.94S/CdS tetradecahedral heterostructures via partial cation exchange, which are otherwise inaccessible by traditional synthetic approaches.     

Zinc cadmium ammine aqua monophosphate and its thermal transformations

Synthesis of amorphous zinc cadmium ammine aqua monophosphates Zn_3?x Cd _x (PO₄). 2n(NH₃) · m(H₂O) (x = 0.6–2.4, n = 1.3–3.1, m = 2.3–3.4) with variable molar ratio of the cations described. The sequence of thermal transformations of compound [Zn_1.5Cd_1.5(NH₃)_1.4(H₂O)_3.2(PO₄)₂] with equimolar ratio of cations is studied, and schemes of its transformation into the crystalline zinc cadmium monophosphate Zn_1.5Cd_1.5(PO₄)₂ are suggested.     

Fluctuation in occupancy of Cu2+ ions in Zn- and Cd-substituted Cu-ferrites

Mössbauer effect technique has been used for the comparative study of Cu_1?x Zn _x Fe₂O₄ and Cu_1?x Cd _x Fe₂O₄ ( _x = 0.0?1.0) ferrites. Both Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ cations are divalent, non-magnetic ions with different ionic radii. With the substitution of these non-magnetic cations the average internal magnetic field decreases and paramagnetic behavior is dominated at x = 0.7 in both series. It is observed that the occupancy of Cu²⁺ ions for tetrahedral site is not constant for all compositions but fluctuate between 8–15%. It is also found that Cu²⁺ ions have more preference for tetrahedral site in Cu-Zn system as compared to the Cu-Cd system. Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺ both ions occupy tetrahedral site completely and form normal spinels for x = 1.0.     

New strategy for band-gap tuning in semiconductor nanocrystals

In the last decade, the main efforts have focused on the preparation of different sized binary II–VI group semiconductor nanocrystals to obtain different color-emitting luminescence. However, the tuning of physical and chemical properties by changing the particle size could cause problems in many applications, in particular if unstable small particles are used. Recent advances have led to the exploration of tunable optical properties by changing their constituent stoichiometries in ternary alloy nanocrystals. High-quality Zn _x Cd_1?x Se alloy nanocrystals have been successfully prepared at high temperature by incorporating stoichiometric amounts of Zn and Se into pre-prepared CdSe nanocrystals or embryonic CdSe nuclei. With increasing Zn content, a composition-tunable emission across the whole visible spectrum has been demonstrated by a systematic blue-shift in emission wavelength. High-quality alloy Zn _x Cd_1?x S nanocrystals have been obtained by the conucleation and co-growth of the constituents through the reaction of a mixture of CdO- and ZnO-oleic acid complexes with sulfur at elevated temperatures. The obtained Zn _x Cd_1?x S alloy nanocrystals possess superior optical properties with photoluminescence quantum yields of 25–50%, especially the extremely narrow emission spectral width (fwhm=14 nm).     

Uptake of Divalent Metal Ions (Cu2+, Zn2+ and Cd2+) by Polysiloxane Immobilized Monoamine Ligand System

ABSTRACT

Porous solid siloxane polymers carrying a monoamine functional group of formula P-(CH₂)₃NH₂ (Where P- represents a siloxane framework silica like ) has been prepared by polycondensation of Si(OEt)₄ and (MeO)₃Si(CH₂)₃-NH₂. Treatment of aqueous solutions of divalent metal ions with the polysiloxane monoamine ligand system demonstrates that this material has high potential for preconcentration of metal ions (Cu²⁺, Zn²⁺ and Cd²⁺). The tendency of these divalent metal ions to chemisorb by the monoamine ligand system at the optimum conditions increases in the order: Cd²⁺ <Zn²⁺ <Cu²⁺. The optimum pH is 5.5 for copper and 6-7 for zinc and cadmium. The ammonia/ ammonium chloride buffer solution gave maximum uptake for all metal ions. It is also found that the uptake of copper ions is concentration dependent and is independent of the presence of other competing ions. The monoamine ligand system suffers from leaching of ligand containing groups upon treatment with acidic solutions. The highest leaching occurs at low pH.     

Low temperature DC electrical conductivity studies of Pb1-xZnxS semiconductor compounds

Pb_1-xZn_xS (x = 0 to 0.4 in steps of 0.1) ternary semiconductor material shave been prepared by co-precipitation method. The structural and electrical studies have been carried out to understand the influence of Zinc on activation energy. X-ray diffractograms showed that the Pb_1-xZn_xS compounds are polycrystalline in nature with cubic phase. The temperature-dependent conductivity measured in the range 300–4 K showed a change in the conduction mechanism at 62 K and 31 K. The activation energies evaluated at low and very low temperature regions. Activation energy increases and conductivity decreases with the increase of Zn in Pb_1-xZn_xS compounds. The samples are exhibiting low freezing temperature points indicating their capability to use in low temperature applications.     

Photocatalytic production of hydrogen in systems based on Cd<Subscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>Zn<Subscript>1–<Emphasis Type="Italic">x</Emphasis></Subscript>S/Ni<Superscript>0</Superscript> nanostructures

A relation was established between the composition of Cd _x Zn_1–x S nanoparticles and their ability to accumulate excess negative charge during irradiation. The rate of expenditure of the accumulated charge depends on the composition of the nanoparticles and is determined by their electric capacitance. A correlation was found between the photocatalytic activity of the Cd _x Zn_1–x S nanoparticles in the release of hydrogen from solutions of Na₂SO₃, their composition, and their capacity for photoinduced accumulation of excess charge. It was shown that Ni⁰ nanoparticles photodeposited on the surface of Cd _x Zn_1–x S are effective cocatalysts for the release of hydrogen. It was found that Zn^II additions in photocatalytic systems based on Cd _x Zn_1–x S/Ni⁰ nanostructures have a promoting action on the release of hydrogen from water–ethanol mixtures. Translated from Teoreticheskaya i éksperimental’naya Khimiya, Vol. 45, No. 1, pp. 8–16, January-February, 2009.