Preparation of ZnS:Mn²⁺ and other sulpher compound nanoparticles by using a ball-milling method

ZnS:Mn²⁺ nanoparticles and other sulpher-based ternary compound nanoparticles were achieved using a ball-milling method. Several-nanometer-sized ZnS:Mn²⁺ nanoparticles were achieved by comminuting materials in a solvent. Both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) suggested that the particles had been milled down to the nanometer size. TEM-energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (TEM-EDX) suggested that the stoichiometry of the starting powder was not affected by the ball-milling process. The orange-colored luminescence originating from Mn²⁺ was improved by reducing the particle size to several nanometers. Red, green and blue (RGB) colored phosphors were also studied using this technique. Ba ₂ZnS₃:Mn (Red), SrGa₂S₄:Eu (Green), BaAl₂S₄:Eu (Blue) and phosphor materials with sizes of about several micrometers were comminuted to nanoparticles without affecting the crystal structure and the stoichiometry. Bright red, green and blue luminescence were confirmed from those nanoparticles.