Ag₂S/ZnS nanocomposites: Synthesis, structure and optical properties

Ag2S/ZnS nanocomposites were synthesized using a novel method, and their structural features and optical properties were also investigated. For the structural investigation of the core/shell-like nanocomposites, X-ray powder diffraction technique (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used. Optical features of Ag2S/ZnS nanocomposites were studied by UV-Vis absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL). According to the SEM images, the sizes of the Ag2S, ZnS nanoparticles and Ag2S/ZnS core/shell-like nanocomposites are in the region of the 10–15; 25–50 and 15–80 nm, respectively. Furthermore, the absorption spectroscopy indicates that the bandgap of Ag2S/ZnS nanocomposites is approximately 2.4 eV. By comparison of the intensities of the emission spectra, it was clear that the intensity of Ag2S/ZnS is much lower than that of ZnS.