zsm-5 zeolite as host material for semiconductor nanoparticles

this work describes the optical and structure properties of nickel sulfide and cobalt sulfide nanoparticles in zsm-5 zeolite. the samples were obtained by sulfidation of the ni2+ and co2+ ion-exchange zsm-5 zeolites in a na2s solution at room temperature. the optical properties of the samples were studied by uv-visible spectroscopy. their crystalline structure and morphology were studied by x-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. specific surface area and infrared spectroscopy results reveal that nanoparticles could grow on the surface area of zsm-5 zeolites. absorption peaks at higher energy than the fundamental adsorption edge of bulk nickle sulfide and cobalt sulfide indicate quantum confinement effect in nanoparticles as a consequence of their small size. the absorption spectra show that the optical band gap varies in the range of 3.91-4.72 ev.