Production and characterization of Zinc Iron Sulphide (ZnFeS) nanoparticles sourced locally from Nigeria prepared by high energy ball-milling

Abstract: In this work, ZnFeS nanoparticles were synthesized from its bulk material through high energy ball milling. The ZnFeS nanoparticles were sourced from Wase Local Government Area of Plateau State Nigeria, pre-treated and then ball milled. The X-ray Diffraction (XRD) was used for analyzing the structural properties and the confirmation of the nanoparticle sizes. The SEM-EDX Analysis was used to determine the morphology and elemental composition of the ZnFeS nanoparticles. The absorbance at varied wavelengths was used to evaluate the optical properties. The result showed that the ZnFeS nanoparticles have coarsed and flaked crystalline structure. The EDX results indicated the presence of zinc, sulphur and iron. The average nanoparticle size was 51.86 nm. The calculated dislocation density ranged from 0.177 x 10-3 nm-2 to 0.435 x 10-3 nm-2. The transmittance increased as the spectrum wavelength moved from the ultraviolet region to the visible and getting up to 90% at the near-infrared region. The refractive index was found to increase as the photon energy increased from about 1.38eV to about 2.45eV. The band energy gap was 3.63eV. These properties lend credence to the potential utilization of the ZnFeS nanoparticles in diverse photovoltaic and optical instruments.

Keywords: Nanoparticles, band energy gap, optical conductivity, refractive index, absorbance