Luminescent Properties of Doped Nanoparticles. Preparation of ZnS with Manganese, Copper, and Silver Dopants

TCE

The Chemical Educator

ISSN: 1430-4171 (electronic version)

Table of Contents

Abstract Volume 9 Issue 3 (2004) pp 159-162

Luminescent Properties of Doped Nanoparticles. Preparation of ZnS with Manganese, Copper, and Silver Dopants

Will E. Lynch,† Delana A. Nivens,*^,† Brian C. Helmly, Monica Richardson,‡ and Ronald R. Williams^§

†Department of Chemistry and Physics, Armstrong Atlantic State University, Savannah, Georgia 31419, nivensde@mail.armstrong.edu; ‡Groves High School, Savannah, Georgia 31408; ^§College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Saginaw Valley State University, University Center, Michigan 48710
Received August 15, 2003. Accepted April 6, 2004.

Published online: 7 May 2004

Abstract. This paper describes an experiment suitable for the advanced inorganic or physical chemistry laboratory. Three-and-a-half-nanometer-diameter (as approximated by the Brus equation) zinc sulfide nanoparticles are synthesized with and without 1% copper, silver, or manganese dopants. The particles are analyzed via UV–vis and luminescence spectroscopy. This spectroscopic analysis can be used to measure particle sizes of fresh and aged ZnS. UV–vis spectroscopy also indicates that the particle size is unaffected by the added dopant, but the position of the emission maxima shifts as much as 170 nm with added dopants due to modifications in the valence and conduction bands.

Key Words: Laboratories and Demonstrations; physical chemistry; inorganic chemistry nanoparticles; quantum-dot; luminescence; zinc sulfide; dopant

(*) Corresponding author. (E-mail: nivensde@mail.armstrong.edu)

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