Real time X-ray scattering study of the formation of ZnS nanoparticles using synchrotron radiation

We investigate the growth of ZnS nanoparticles by a real-time simultaneous small and wide angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, WAXS) study using synchrotron radiation. Zinc chloride and elemental sulfur were dissolved in oleylamine. The formation of nanoparticles was induced by heating to 170 °C and 215 °C. The influence of temperature, reaction time, and sulfur concentration was investigated. After a short phase of rapid growth, saturation in size and a slower growth is observed depending on the temperature. The final size of the nanoparticles ranges between 2 and 6 nm for the investigated growth conditions and increases with the reaction temperature and sulfur concentration. SAXS analysis allows for determination of the size of the nanoparticles and proves also the existence of an organized layer of oleylamine molecules covering the nanoparticles' surfaces, which, however, appears only for diameters of the nanoparticles larger than approximately 2.8 nm. The investigation of the measured structure factor of the nanoparticle assemblies showed that the distance of an attractive interaction is 2.5 nm, which was interpreted as a consequence of the ordered oleylamine surface layer