Spectroscopic characteristics of (Mn2+, Nd3+) co-doped zinc sulfide nanocrystals

•(Mn2+, Nd3+) co-doped ZnS nanocrystals were synthesized by a wet chemistry method.•The co-doped ZnS nanopowder exhibits a band gap enhancement.•Doping of Mn2+ leads to photoluminescence of the material in the visible region.•Doping of Nd3+ leads to photoluminescence of the material in near-infrared region.

The ZnS nanoparticles doped with Mn and Nd were synthesized by applying a wet chemical precipitation method using (NH4)2S as the sulfur source. The co-doped ZnS nanopowders with pure sphalerite phase were confirmed by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The influences of co-doped Mn and Nd on the ZnS crystallites, band-gap, and luminescence characteristics have been investigated. Ultraviolet–visible (UV–Vis) spectroscopy revealed the band gap enhancement of the co-doped ZnS. The photoluminescence in both visible and near infrared (NIR) regions, induced by incorporation of Mn2+ and Nd3+ into ZnS host, indicated that the co-doped ZnS nanocrystals can serve as a promising candidate for innovative photoluminescent materials.