Sonochemistry-assisted synthesis and optical properties of mesoporous ZnS nanomaterials

Zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanomaterials with well-defined mesoporosity were synthesized with the assistance of sonochemistry in an ethanol system of Zn(NO3)(2) and Na2S, without using any templates or surfactants. The prepared ZnS presented a crystalline structure of the cubic zinc-blende phase and possessed a high specific surface area of 263 m(2) g(-1) with a narrow pore size distribution around 5.1 nm. Abundant surface defects existed in the obtained mesoporous ZnS, thanks to the NaNO3 salt protection through the process of occasional precipitation in the alcohol system. Sonochemically synthesized ZnS nanomaterials showed higher activities for the photodegradation of Rhodamine B under UV light irradiation than the ones prepared in the absence of sonochemistry or in an aqueous system, which was mainly due to the well-structured mesoporosity and the surface defects.