PbS micro-nanostructures with controlled morphologies by a novel thermal decomposition approach

A novel synthetic approach for the preparation of PbS micro-nanostructures with different morphologies has been reported. PbS micro-nanostructures with various morphologies such as stars, dendrites, hexapods, and cubes were synthesized by thermal decomposition of lead acetate and thiourea in ethylene glycol at 120 °C, in air, in the absence of any surfactant. The PbS micro-nanostructures were characterized using different analytical techniques such as X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The effect of different synthetic parameters such as [Pb²⁺:S²⁻] ratio, decomposition temperature, time, and source of sulfur on the morphologies of PbS was investigated and the mechanism for the formation of micro-nanostructures with different morphologies has also been proposed.