Abstract:
An environmentally friendly synthetic route has been used to synthesize cadmium
selenide and zinc selenide nanoparticles. Both aqueous and organically soluble selenide
based nanoparticles have been synthesized via mild conditions. The synthesis involved
the reduction of selenium powder to produce selenium ions. The complete reduction of
selenium is followed by the addition of a metal source MX (M = Cd or Zn and X = Cl or
CO). Biocompatible passivating agents such as cysteine or triethanolamine (TEA)
induced the solubility of the nanoparticles in water, while the solubility of the
nanoparticles in the organic solvents was facilitated by hexadecylamine (HDA).
The evidence for the formation of the nanoparticles with a desired quality was confirmed
by using different techniques such as UV-Vis absorption spectroscopy,
photoluminescence spectroscopy (PL), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron
microscopy (TEM) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR).
Description:
Dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the
Degree Master of Chemistry in the Faculty of Science and Agriculture at the University of Zululand, South Africa, 2012.
