Polyol mediated synthesis of nanoscale MS particles (M = Zn, Cd, Hg)

The preparation of nanoscale MS particles (M=Zn, Cd, Hg) with the polyol method is described. Starting with metal acetates and thiourea as precursors, by heating at 180 degreesC in diethylene glycol, crystalline particles 30-250 nm in size can be yielded. The resulting particle size is examined in DEG-H2O suspension applying laser diffraction techniques. Moreover, the particle size in the powder state is analysed based on SEM and TEM studies. X-Ray and electron diffraction are applied to investigate the crystallinity of the nanoscale materials.