Designing the morphology of PbS nanoparticles through a single source precursor method

The synthesis and characterization of lead sulphide nanoparticles using complexes as single sources of both lead and sulphur are reported. A cubic phase of galena perfectly matched all synthesized nanoparticles confirming that no secondary product was generated. The complexes prepared from thiosemicarbazide materials and lead bromide reacted differently in oleylamine to produce PbS nanoparticles. Smaller cubic shapes and quantum dots with a blue-shifted absorption were yielded from cinnamaldehyde thiosemicarbazide and benzophenone thiosemicarbazide complexes due to larger ligands and the symmetrical position of the thiosemicarbazide group in benzophenone complex. Relatively larger particles were obtained from acetophenone thiosemicarbazide complex. The temperature of synthesis also affected the shape and size of PbS nanoparticles.