One step colloidal route for the preparation of lead sulfide nanoparticles using thiol

Lead sulfide (PbS) nanoparticles were prepared in an aqueous solution using 2-Mercaptoethanol as a capping agent by simple colloidal route. The structural, optical, morphological and compositional analysis were carried out by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Optical absorption spectroscopy, Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDAX) respectively. Effect of concentration of 2-Mercaptoethanol on particle size was investigated. In the absence of capping agent the yield of PbS particles was maximum. XRD shows the formation of PbS nanoparticles with cubic structure. Absorption spectra reveals the blue shift with increase in the concentration of 2-Mercaptoethanol due to decrease in particle size. EDAX study confirms the formation of stoichiometric PbS nanoaprticles for all concentration of 2-Mercaptoethanol. The average particle size of PbS nanoparticles synthesized in presence of 0.5 wt% 2-Mercaptoethanol observed from TEM image is 15 nm. SAED pattern shows all diffraction rings are indexed to cubic structure of PbS. The interplaner distance `d´ observed from HRTEM image is equal to 1.3612 Å which corresponds to (420) plane.