Self-template hydrothermal synthesis ZnS microspheres

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) microspheres were synthesized by a self-template hydrothermal route using thiourea as sulphur source. The formation of these hollow spheres was mainly attributed to the oriented aggregation of ZnS nanocystals around the gas-liquid interface between gas (H(2)S, NH(3), or CO(2)) and water followed by an Ostwald ripening process. The gas bubbles of H(2)S, NH(3), or CO(2) produced during the reaction might play a soft-template to form ZnS hollow microspheres. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), electron diffraction (ED), and photoluminescence (PL). The crystal structure of prepared ZnS microspheres is hexagonal phase polycrystalline. The average microspheres diameter is 1.5 - 6 mu m. (C) 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim