Benzene-thermal synthesis and characterization of ultrafine powders of antimony sulfide

Ultrafine powders of Sb2S3 have been successfully synthesized via a reaction between SbCl3 and Na2S3 in benzene at 150°C for 12 h. The powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy, and electronic diffraction data showed that the product is single orthorhombic Sb2S3 phase and well crystallized, with an average size of about 150 nm. The XRD patterns and IR spectrum demonstrated that the process in benzene prevents hydrolysis of SbCl3 and avoids the presence of other impurities in the product.