Abstract
Lead sulfide (PbS) nanoparticles of about 12 nm in diameter and with a single crystalline structure have been prepared by a sonochemical method. The influence of reaction time and different capping agents such as polyethylene glycol (PEG), cetylytrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), tetraethylortosilicate on the morphology of the synthesised PbS nanoparticles have been investigated. Results revealed polyethylene glycol (PEG) was a useful capping agent to produce PbS nanostructures with a suitable size distribution. Further studies demonstrated that by increasing the polymer chain length of PEG, the size of the PbS nanoparticles decreased remarkably. The nanoparticles were characterised by X-ray diffraction, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy and the surface areas were determined using the BET method.