Composites from luminescent nanosized ZnS and optical polymer

In this work, transparent luminescent nanocomposites were obtained using manganese - doped ZnS nanoparticles with crystallite sizes of about 10nm, dispersed in the monomer isobornyl acrylate (IBOA). Suited nanocrystals of Mn2+ -doped ZnS have been prepared by arrested precipitation in the presence of capping agents like cysteamine, combined with hydrophobization. Transparent ZnS: Mn/PIBOA nanocomposites were subsequently prepared via in situ polymerization. Nanocomposites were produced by adding different percentages of nanoparticles up to 30% by weight. The structural properties of the ZnS:Mn nanoparticles were studied in detail using X-ray diffractometer (XRD), Fourier transform IR spectrometer (FT-IR), spectroscopy (UV-VIS) and dynamic light scattering (DLS). The X-ray diffraction pattern exhibited peaks corresponding to the cubic phase of ZnS. The emission spectrum (at 320 nm excitation) of the composites showed the same broad band as bulk ZnS:Mn, centered at 590 nm.