Facile preparation of Ag2S nanoparticles with broad photoelectric response region

Ag2S nanoparticles (NPs) are prepared by a simple one-step hydrothermal synthesis. Various particle diameters of Ag2S NPs are obtained under different concentrations of surfactants. A mechanism for the nucleation and growth of Ag2S NPs under the influence of surfactants is proposed. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy are used to characterize the obtained product. In order to investigate the photoelectric properties of the Ag2S NPs, surface photovoltage (SPV) technique was studied. The Ag2S NPs perform intense photoelectric response in the range of NIR and visible region, which could be applied in photoelectric detector.