A Novel Approach for the Synthesis and Characterization Studies of Mn2+-Doped CdS Nanocrystals by a Facile Microwave-Assisted Combustion Method

A simple and efficient microwave-assisted combustion method was developed to synthesize Mn2+-doped CdS (MnxCd1-xS: x = 0.0, 0.3, and 0.5) nanocrystallites. The study suggested that the application of microwave heating produced spherical shaped cluster of pure and Mn2+-doped CdS nanocrystallites, which was achieved in few minutes. The effects of Mn2+-doping on structural, morphological, optical and magnetic properties of CdS nanocrystallites were investigated by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), high-resolution scanning electron microscopy (HRSEM) with energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) with selected area electron diffraction (SAED), UV-Visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (DRS), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). The XRD results confirmed the formation of hexagonal CdS. The formation of pure and Mn2+-doped CdS phase was also confirmed by FT-IR and EDX. The formation of spherical shaped cluster of nanocrystallites was confirmed by HR-SEM and HR-TEM. The as-synthesized nanocrystallites were found to have good optoelectronic properties that were determined by DRS and PL spectra. VSM results of the as-synthesized Mn2+-doped CdS nanocrystallites showed ferromagnetic behavior.