Effective photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutant by ZnS nanocrystals synthesized via thermal decomposition of single-source precursor

2-Aminocyclopentene-1-dithiocarboxylate complex of zinc(II) has been synthesized and found to be an effective single-source precursor for the preparation of ZnS NCs (rod and sphere) by the use of ethylenediamine and hexadecylamine as structure directing solvents. Structural characterizations were carried out using XRD, TEM and BET measurements and the optical properties by UV-Vis and PL spectroscopic techniques. The prepared ZnS NCs show effective photocatalytic activity towards the degradation of Rose Bengal dye (RB) under light irradiation for their probable application in waste water treatment. The degradation mechanism of RB dye under light irradiation is established by terephthalic acid photoluminescence probing technique. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.