From Lead(II) Dithiocarbamate Precursors to a Fast Response PbS Positive Temperature Coefficient Thermistor

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Solid State Chemistry

Background:

• Lead sulfide (PbS) is a semiconductor with applications in infrared detectors and thermistors.
• Developing efficient synthesis methods for high-quality PbS nanostructures is crucial for advanced device fabrication.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize PbS submicron crystals via thermolysis of lead dithiocarbamate precursors.
• To characterize the precursors and the resulting PbS material.
• To fabricate and evaluate a novel PbS thermistor.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of lead dithiocarbamate complexes.
• In situ synchrotron powder diffraction for precursor decomposition analysis.
• Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) for morphology and structure.
• Powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopy for phase purity and structural confirmation.
• Fabrication and testing of a PbS thermistor.

Main Results:

• Successfully synthesized two lead dithiocarbamate precursors.
• Characterized precursor decomposition using in situ synchrotron powder diffraction.
• Confirmed the formation of pure PbS submicron crystals with controlled morphology.
• Developed a novel PbS thermistor exhibiting excellent sensitivity.
• Achieved an ultrarapid thermal response time for the PbS thermistor.

Conclusions:

• Lead dithiocarbamate complexes are effective precursors for synthesizing PbS submicron crystals.
• The synthesized PbS submicron crystals are suitable for thermistor applications.
• The novel PbS thermistor demonstrates promising performance characteristics for thermal sensing applications.