Large scale preparation of zinc nanosheets by thermochemical reduction of ZnS powders

Zn nanosheets have been synthesized by a simple thermochemical reaction process at a N2 atmosphere with CO and H2 gases which were produced in situ. The synthesized Zn nanosheets have dimensions of tens of microns and an average thickness of about 20 nm. These nanosheets were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) equipped with an X-ray energy dispersive spectrometer. The nanosheets are single crystals with a hexagonal structure, which grow along both [1 0 0] and [0 1 0] directions within the (0 0 1) planes.