Lead chalcogenide nanostructured gels and aerogels

INOR 544

Kennedy K. Kalebaila, kkalebai@chem.wayne.edu and Stephanie L. Brock, sbrock@chem.wayne.edu. Department of Chemistry, Wayne State University, 5101 Cass Ave., Detroit, MI 48202
Lead chalcogenide (S, Se, and Te) nanoparticles exhibit optical absorbance and photoluminescence in the infrared region and have attracted considerable interest for applications in telecommunications, deep-tissue imaging, and infrared photovoltaics. If the lead chalcogenide nanoparticles can be assembled in a 3-D porous network (gel), high surface areas and high degrees of porosity can be achieved that are ideal for catalysis or catalytic supports. This advantage, in association with the optoelectronic behavior of PbS and PbSe nanoparticles, holds promise for new applications in areas such as photocatalysis, and enhanced optical sensing. Here, we report the synthesis of PbS and PbSe nanoparticles and their transformation into gels and aerogels. The as-prepared aerogels are characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and fluorimetry. The surface area and pore size distribution of the prepared aerogels is determined from nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms.