PbO/CdO/ZnO and PbS/CdS/ZnS nanocomposites: Studies on optical, electrochemical and thermal properties

Novel hexagonal ring structured PbO/CdO/ZnO and spherical shaped PbS/CdS/ZnS nanocomposites were successfully synthesized by chemical method in air. Structural, morphological, chemical composition, optical, electrochemical and thermal properties were investigated using different analytical techniques. In comparison with the PbO/CdO/ZnO, PbS/CdS/ZnS nanocomposites showed well-defined cyclic voltammetric response. Optical absorption as well as emission peak position of the annealed nanocomposites was significantly red shifted compared with the as-prepared samples. To prevent the toxic effect of the Pb-Cd, the environment friendly Zn was coated on the surface of binary composites. The combined electrochemical and optical experiments indicated that PbO/CdO/ZnO and PbS/CdS/ZnS nanocomposites can be considered as efficient candidates for optical and electrochemical applications. Phase transition, decomposition and stability of the nanocomposites were identified by thermal study. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.