Effect of Zn precursor on structural, morphological and optical properties of ZnSe nanoparticles

This paper describes the surfactant-assisted synthesis of ZnSe nanoparticles by the hydrothermal method. In this route, zinc salt, sodium selenite (Na₂SeO₃) are used as zinc and selenium precursors. The reaction is performed in the presence of 0.1 M cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as a surfactant and hydrazine hydrate (N₂H₄.H₂O) as a reducing agent. The effect of change in zinc salt on size, morphology and optical properties of ZnSe nanocrystals have been investigated by performing the reaction at 150 °C for 8hrs. The phase structures, morphologies and optical properties of synthesized ZnSe nanoparticles were characterized by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), Photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy and Time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy (TRPL). The XRD analysis shows a successful synthesis of small-sized (8-11 nm) crystalline ZnSe nanoparticles. Zinc acetate has been found to be the favourable source of zinc for the synthesis of pure ZnSe nanoparticles under mentioned reaction conditions. In this study, it has been found that the Zn source used during the reaction has a considerable effect on structural, morphological, and optical properties of synthesized ZnSe nanoparticles. Investigations done in the presented work can be helpful for the controlled morphological synthesis of ZnSe nanoparticles with better purity for various applications.