[Synthesis of Ag2S nanoparticles at room temperature and their characterization with XPS]

Nanocrystalline silver sulfide was successfully synthesized at room temperature and ambient pressure via a novel, safe, convenient and inexpensive redox reaction, using silver oxide, sulfur and polyformaldehyde as reactants and ethylenediamine as solvent. The products were characterized with XPS, XRD and TEM. XRD spectrum demonstrates a monoclinic Ag2S; TEM shows the products are rod-like nanoparticles with average diameter of 100 nm, its corresponding SAED reveals clear diffraction spots indexed as (120) and (303); XPS confirms the formation of Ag2S and indicates the sample's surface stoichiometry of Ag:S=1:0.453. The control experiments show polyformaldehyde and ethylenediamine are both important in the formation of products. Ethylenediamine accelerates the reactions via dissolving silver oxide and sulfur and neutralizing the by-product formic acid.