Microwave-assisted synthesis of semiconductor nanoparticles in water/oil microemulsion

Stable CdS and ZnS nanoparticles with exalted luminescence properties have been obtained in water/sodium bis (2-ethylhexyl) sulfosuccinate (AOT)/n-heptane microemulsion using microwave in order to take away selectively water molecules from microemulsion system. The nanoparticles synthesis was performed using a microwave exposure set-up opportunely assembled that allows irradiating the reactor with microwave of 2.45 GHz maintaining constant the temperature. The nanoparticles growth kinetics, as a function of irradiation time, was performed by means of UV-Vis spectroscopy. Information about the structural changes that microemulsion undergoes when irradiated with microwave was obtained by means of photoluminescence spectroscopy that was able to give details on electronic properties evolution of nanoparticles. For all experimental data a comparison between behaviour of irradiated and not irradiated samples is reported.