Surface Properties of Components in the InP-ZnS System

The chemical composition of the surfaces of solid solutions and binary components of the InP-ZnS system exposed in air and after thermal and vacuum treatment has been studied using the IR MDTIR spectroscopy method. The acid-base properties of the surfaces for the components of the system assigned to the weak acidic area (pH(iso) < 7) have been studied by the methods of hydrolytic adsorption, nonaqueous conductometric titration, and mechanochemistry. The possibility of application of the prepared materials for manufacturing sensors for the impurities of basic gases has been demonstrated. A conclusion concerning the nature of active centers and mechanisms of acid-base interactions has been derived. Predominantly statistical regularities in the composition dependences of the acid-base properties have been found. Influence of the degree of difference in the basic volumetric properties, in particular, band gap (Delta E) for the initial binary compounds (InP, ZnS), has been confirmed. On the basis of the derived correlation between regularities in variation of surface and volumetric properties, a less labor-consuming and expensive direction based on the known volumetric properties for searching for new materials for sensory technology has been substantiated. Practical patented recommendations for application of the prepared materials in sensory technology have been given and realized.