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Dengo N, De Fazio AF, Weiss M, Marschall R, Dolcet P, Fanetti M, Gross S. Thermal Evolution of ZnS Nanostructures: Effect of Oxidation Phenomena on Structural Features and Photocatalytical Performances. Inorg Chem 2018; 57:13104-13114. [PMID: 30303381 DOI: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.8b01101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
ZnS nanosystems are being extensively studied for their possible use in a wide range of technological applications. Recently, the gradual oxidation of ZnS to ZnO was exploited to tune their structural, electronic, and functional properties. However, the inherent complexity and size dependence of the ZnS oxidation phenomena resulted in a very fragmented description of the process. In this work, different-sized nanosystems were obtained through two different low temperature wet chemistry routes, namely, hydrothermal and inverse miniemulsion approaches. These protocols were used to obtain ZnS samples consisting of 21 and 7 nm crystallites, respectively, to be used as reference material. The obtained samples were then calcinated at different temperatures, ranging from 400 to 800 °C toward the complete oxidation of ZnO, passing through the coexistence of the two phases (ZnS/ZnO). A thorough comparison of the effects of thermal handling on ZnS structural, chemical, and functional evolution was carried out by TEM, XRD, XAS, XPS, Raman, FT-IR, and UV-Vis. Finally, the photocatalytic activity in the H2 evolution reaction was also compared for selected ZnS and ZnS/ZnO samples. A correlation between size and the oxidation process was observed, as the smaller nanosystems showed the formation of ZnO at lower temperature, or in a larger amount in the case of the ZnS and ZnO co-presence. A difference in the underlying mechanism of the reaction was also evidenced. Despite the ZnS/ZnO mixed samples being characterized by an increased light absorption in the visible range, their photocatalytic activity was found to be much lower.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Dengo
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche , Università degli Studi di Padova and INSTM UdR , via Marzolo, 1 , 35131 , Padova , Italy.,Istituto di Chimica della Materia Condensata e di Tecnologie per l'Energia , ICMATE-CNR , via Marzolo, 1 , 35131 , Padova , Italy
| | - Angela F De Fazio
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche , Università degli Studi di Padova and INSTM UdR , via Marzolo, 1 , 35131 , Padova , Italy.,Physics and Astronomy, Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering , University of Southampton , Southampton , SO17 1BJ , U.K
| | - Morten Weiss
- Institute of Physical Chemistry , Justus-Liebig-University Giessen , 35392 Giessen , Germany
| | - Roland Marschall
- Institute of Physical Chemistry , Justus-Liebig-University Giessen , 35392 Giessen , Germany
| | - Paolo Dolcet
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche , Università degli Studi di Padova and INSTM UdR , via Marzolo, 1 , 35131 , Padova , Italy.,Istituto di Chimica della Materia Condensata e di Tecnologie per l'Energia , ICMATE-CNR , via Marzolo, 1 , 35131 , Padova , Italy
| | - Mattia Fanetti
- Materials Research Laboratory , University of Nova Gorica , Vipavska 11c , SI-5270 Ajdovščina , Slovenia
| | - Silvia Gross
- Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche , Università degli Studi di Padova and INSTM UdR , via Marzolo, 1 , 35131 , Padova , Italy.,Istituto di Chimica della Materia Condensata e di Tecnologie per l'Energia , ICMATE-CNR , via Marzolo, 1 , 35131 , Padova , Italy
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