Influence factors and mechanism of emission of ZnS:Cu nanocrystals

Copper-doped ZnS (ZnS:Cu) nanocrystals are synthesized by the sol–gel method. The average size of the ZnS:Cu nanocrystals is 3.1 nm. The x-ray diffraction indicates that increasing the Cu-dopant concentration results in a large shift in the diffraction angle. The effects of the dopant concentration, the reactant ratio, and aging temperature on the optical properties of the ZnS:Cu nanocrystals are also investigated. The fluorescence emission mechanism is analyzed by peak deconvolution using Gaussian functions. We find that the emission of the ZnS:Cu nanocrystal is composed of different luminescence centers at 430, 470, 490, 526, and 560 nm. The origins of these emissions are discussed and demonstrated by controlled experiments.