Formation and photoluminescence of ZnS:Tb nanoparticles stabilized by polyethylene glycol

Abstract ZnS nanoparticles doped with 1 mol.% of Tb have been prepared at 70 °C by simple chemical precipitation method using poly ethylene glycol (PEG) as capping agent. The synthesized nanoparticles have been analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), photoluminescence (PL) and UV–Vis absorption spectroscopy. From X-ray diffraction analysis, it was found that nanostructured ZnS:Tb particles exhibited cubic structure with an average crystallite size of 2.75 nm. Room temperature photoluminescence (PL) spectrum of the doped sample exhibited broad emission in the visible region with multiple peaks at 395 and 412 nm due to 5D3 →7F6 and 7F5 transitions and 492, 536, 600, 653 and 680 nm due to 5D4 →7F6, 7F5 ,7F4,7F1and 7F0 transitions.