AP0876 Synthesis and Analysis of ZnO/CdS Nanocomposites: Structural and Optical Properties

Abstract

This research investigates the structural and optical properties of ZnO/CdS nanocomposite synthesized through co-precipitation. Various analytical techniques, including x-ray diffraction (XRD), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX), confirmed the formation of a pure, homogeneous nanocomposite. XRD analysis indicated that the compound is semi-crystalline with a crystalline size of approximately 9 nm. FESEM imaging showed that the ZnO/CdS nanocomposite has a spherical morphology. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy revealed a specific band gap value of 3.78 eV, corresponding to a wavelength of 328 nm. EDX analysis indicated the weight percentages of zinc, oxygen, cadmium, and sulfur to be 1.8%, 11.9%, 65.9%, and 20.5%, respectively. FTIR analysis identified functional groups confirming the presence of the desired compound.