Processing and Characterization of PbS Nanoparticles by Ball Milling Technique and Their Applications

Lead Sulphide (PbS) nanoparticles were processed using ball milling techniques. The processed PbS nanoparticles were characterized using atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM),, energy dispersive analysis (EDAX), and electrical investigation using four-point probe. The XRD results of the PbS nanoparticles show peaks at the crystal plane (111), (200), (210), (211) and (320). The average size of PbS nanoparticles crystallite is found to be 51.05 nm. The optical energy band gap of PbS nanoparticles dispersed in ethanol was observed to be 3.98ev and 4.06eV for PbS nanoparticles dispersed in distilled water. The absorbance of PbS nanoparticles shows that the absorbance values were moderate in the UV region but dramatically decreased as they moved towards the visible and near-infrared regions. The EDX analysis shows that PbS nanoparticles is composed of 54.36% Pb, 36.47% C and 9.16% S. The sheet resistance, resistivity, and conductivity were measured and found to be 1.51 × 107 Ω/Sq., 3.61 Ω.cm and 2.77 × 10-1 (Ω.cm)-1 for PbS nanoparticles. PbS nanoparticles are classified as promising materials for various electronics and optoelectronic devices based on the determined properties.