Preparation of copper monosulfide and nickel monosulfide nanoparticles by sonochemical method

This paper presents a novel method for the preparation of copper monosulfide (CuS) and nickel monosulfide (NiS) nanoparticles via a sonochemical route from an aqueous solution containing metal acetate [Cu(CH3COO)(2) or Ni(CH3COO)(2)] and thioacetamide (TAA) in the presence of triethanolamine (TEA) as a complexing agent under ambient air. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX). The as-prepared nanoparticles have regular shape, narrow size distribution and high purity. It is found to be a mild, convenient and efficient method for the preparation of CuS and NiS nanoparticles. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.