Structural and optical properties of ZnS/niobate composites synthesized by exfoliation/self-assembly processing

A new ZnS/niobate composite was first synthesized through two processes: (1) self-assembly of [Ca2Nb3O10]nn− nanosheets in Zn(NH3)42+ solution; (2) formation of ZnS/niobate composite by adding Na2S to the former reacting system. X-ray diffraction (XRD) result shows that the as-prepared ZnS/niobate composite can be indexed to tetrahedral symmetry with a=5.450(2) and c=16.904(7) Å. The uniform distributions of Zn, Ca, Nb, S and O element in the particles were demonstrated by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The optical property of the composite was characterized by photoluminescence spectra and UV-vis absorption spectra.

Graphical abstractZnS/niobate composites were first synthesized by exfoliation/self-assembly processing. The composites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and energy dispersive spectrometer (EDS), IR spectrum, UV-vis spectrum, and photoluminescent spectrum. The photoluminescence spectrum of the ZnS/niobate composite shows blue shift attributed to quantum sizes effects.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide