ZnS nanosheets: Egg albumin and microwave-assisted synthesis and optical properties

• ZnS nanosheets were prepared via egg albumin and microwave-assisted method.
• The structure, chemical and optical properties of ZnS nanosheets.
• Growth mechanism of ZnS nanosheets.
• ZnS nanosheets can show only a blue emission centered at about 440 nm.

ZnS nanosheets were prepared via egg albumin and microwave-assisted method. The phases, crystalline lattice structures, morphologies, chemical and optical properties were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), field-emission scanning electron microscope(FE-SEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy and fluorescence(FL) spectrometer and growth mechanism of ZnS nanosheets was investigated. The results showed that all samples were pure cubic zinc blende with polycrystalline structure. The width of ZnS nanosheets with a rectangular nanostructure was in the range of 450–750 nm. The chemical interaction existed between egg albumin molecules and ZnS nanoparticles via the amide/carboxylate group. The band gap value calculated was 3.72 eV. The band at around 440 nm was attributed to the sulfur vacancies of the ZnS nanosheets. With increasing volumes of egg albumin, the photoluminescence (PL) intensity of ZnS samples firstly increased and then decreased, attributed to concentration quenching.

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