Preparation of ternary metal chalcogenide (M1-xFexS, M = Cd and Zn) nanocrystallites using single source precursors

M1-xFexS (M - Cd, Zn) nanocrystallites were prepared by pyrolysis and solvothermal decomposition methods using [M(Aftscz)(2)] and [M(AftsczH)(2)Cl-2] (M = Cd, Zn and AftsczH = monoacetylferrocene thiosemicarbazone) as single source precursors. The M1-xFexS nanocrystallites were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), energy dispersive X-ray analysis and UV-Visible spectroscopy. XRD patterns show that the Cd1-xFexS and Zn1-xFexS nanocrystallites prepared by pyrolysis and solvothermal decomposition routes have hexagonal phase. TEM images show presence of spherical and spherical plate-like morphology of M1-xFexS nanoparticles. M1-xFexS nanoparticles obtained by solvothermal decomposition in ethylene glycol are found to be capped with ethylene glycol as evident from IR spectra. (C) 2011 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.