Synthesis and characterization of PbS nanorods in W/O microemulsion system

PbS nanorods have been successfully synthesized in water-in-oil (W/O) microemulsion containing non-ionic surfactant OP, n-pentanol, cyclohexane, and aqueous solution. The effects of the molar ratio of water to surfactant (ω₀), the concentration of reactants and the ageing time on the morphologies of PbS nanoparticles were investigated. The microstructures, morphologies and properties of the synthesized products were characterized by means of X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS) absorption spectroscopy, respectively. The results showed that the synthesized rod-like products are composed of cubic phase PbS. These nanorods have an average diameter of about 100 nm, and an average length of about 500 nm. In the UV-VIS absorption spectrum, the absorption edge of PbS nanorods exhibit a blue shift compared with that of bulk PbS, indicating the quantum confinement effect of PbS nano-particles