Facile synthesis of ZnS quantum dots at room temperature for ultra-violet photodetector applications

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) quantum dots (QDs) were synthesized using a facile, low-cost and environmentally friendly method at room temperature and ambient pressure. The structural, optical and electrical properties of the asprepared ZnS QDs were investigated. The monodispersed crystalline ZnS QDs with an average size of 3.8 nm has been prepared, an absorption peak at 292 nm in the ultra-violet (UV) range was observed. The maximum responsivity (R) and detectivity (D*) of the ZnS QDs based photodetector under 365 nm UV light illumination were 5.8 A W-1 and 1.97 x 10(13) Jones, respectively, which shows important potential application in UV detection.