Biomolecule-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and properties of manganese sulfide hollow microspheres

Gamma-manganese sulfide (γ-MnS) hollow microspheres have been successfully synthesized via a biomolecule-assisted hydrothermal process in the presence of l-cysteine and urea at 180 °C for 24 h. In the synthesis system, l-cysteine was employed as not only a sulfur source, but also a coordination agent. The structure, morphology and optical properties of as-prepared products have been investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and photoluminescence (PL) spectrum. Reaction parameters such as ratio of l-cysteine to urea, surfactants and reaction time played a significant role in controlling the morphology of as-prepared products. The probable formation mechanism of the γ-MnS hollow microsphere was proposed on the basis of the experimental results.