Sonochemistry-assisted synthesis and optical properties of mesoporous ZnS nanomaterials

Abstract

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanomaterials with well-defined mesoporosity were synthesized with the assistance of sonochemistry in an ethanol system of Zn(NO₃)₂ and Na₂S, without using any templates or surfactants. The prepared ZnS presented a crystalline structure of the cubic zinc-blende phase and possessed a high specific surface area of 263 m² g⁻¹ with a narrow pore size distribution around 5.1 nm. Abundant surface defects existed in the obtained mesoporous ZnS, thanks to the NaNO₃ salt protection through the process of occasional precipitation in the alcohol system. Sonochemically synthesized ZnS nanomaterials showed higher activities for the photodegradation of Rhodamine B under UV light irradiation than the ones prepared in the absence of sonochemistry or in an aqueous system, which was mainly due to the well-structured mesoporosity and the surface defects.