SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF RUS2 NANOCRYSTALLITES

RuS2 nanocrystallites were synthesized using a new technique, namely p rolonged bubbling of H2S through a solution of RuCl3 in sulfolane and water at high temperatures. Optically transparent RuS2 colloidal parti cles could also be synthesized in hot sulfolane. Optical measurements of the RuS2 colloidal suspensions and powders showed a broad absorptio n in the visible spectral region, suggesting the suitability of this m aterial for semiconductor sensitization experiments. The observed X-ra y diffraction (XRD) data of the synthesized powder samples were in goo d agreement with the reported ASTM pattern of RuS2, confirming that Ru S2 was the prepared compound by this new preparation technique. Scanni ng electron microscopic (SEM) pictures showed submicrometre sized crys tallites. Heat treated powders of water prepared RuS2 showed < 50 nm p article sizes, and still smaller sizes were observed for the sulfolane prepared sample. Energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) analysis and X-ray flu orescence (XRF) measurements showed an Ru/S ratio of similar to 1:2 an d also supported the XRD results.