Phase transformation and optical properties of Cu-doped ZnS nanorods

ZnS nanorods doped with 0–15 mol% of Cu have been prepared by simple solvothermal process. With gradual increase in the Cu concentration, phase transformation of the doped ZnS nanorods from wurtzite to cubic was observed. Twins and stacking faults were developed due to atomic rearrangement in the heavily doped ZnS nanorods during phase transformation. UV–vis–NIR absorbance spectroscopy ruled out the presence of any impure Cu–S phase. The doped ZnS nanorods showed luminescence over a wide range from UV to near IR with peaks at 370, 492–498, 565 and 730 nm. The UV region peak is due to the near-band-edge transition, whereas, the green peak can be related to emission from elementary sulfur species on the surfaces of the nanorods. The orange emission at 565 nm may be linked to the recombination of electrons at deep defect levels and the Cu(t2) states present near the valence band of ZnS. The near IR emission possibly originated from transitions due to deep-level defects.