ZnS micro-spheres and flowers: Chemically controlled synthesis and template use in fabricating MS(shell)/ZnS(core) and MS (MÂ =Â Pb, Cu) hollow microspheres

ZnS micro-spheres and flowers with the cubic structure were chemically synthesized through a simple one-step hydrothermal approach. The as-synthesized ZnS microspheres were further used as the templates to prepare MS(shell)/ZnS(core) composite spheres and MS (M = Pb, Cu) hollow spheres via ion-exchange method with the treatment of dilute HCl. The present method can be extended to the synthesis of other metal sulfides with shell-core or hollow structures. The as-synthesized ZnS, MS(shell)/ZnS(core), and MS microstructures show promising absorptions in UV and visible regions, indicating that the as-prepared microspheres are promising in the development of photoelectric devices.