title: Synthesis of nickel and cobalt sulfide nanoparticles using a low cost sonochemical method.
abstract: Nickel and cobalt sulfides are promising materials in different cutting-edge research areas like solar cells, supercapacitors, catalysts, and electrode materials. Nickel and cobalt sulfides with various stoichiometries have been synthesized sonochemically from Ni(CH3COO)2∙ 4H2O, Co(CH3COO)2∙ 2H2O and different sulfur precursors using a direct immersion ultrasonic probe. The products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) including EDX analysis, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Following products have been obtained: NiS, Ni3S4, CoS1.097and Co9S8, with average crystallite sizes in the range 7-30 nm. Effects of different reaction conditions on the size, morphology and optical band-gap energy were evaluated. Optical band-gap energies in the range 3.3 eV-3.8 eV were observed for the obtained nanoparticles.
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, SI - 2000, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Matjaž
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kristl
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Koroška cesta 160, SI - 2000, Maribor, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Brina
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Dojer
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, SI - 2000, Maribor, Slovenia; Jožef Stefan Institute, Department for Materials Synthesis, Jamova cesta 39, SI - 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Sašo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gyergyek
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Maribor, Pivola 10, SI - 2311, Hoče, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Janja
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kristl
keywords: Inorganic chemistry; Materials science; Nanotechnology