Open Access

ARTICLE

Synthesis and photocatalytic performance of ZnS nanoparticles via electrospinning assisted hydrothermal technique

T. L. Yang^a, P. Y. Lin^b, Y. S. Fu^c, C. Y. Luo^c, K. C. Hsu^a,*

a Department of Marine Engineering, National Kaohsiung University of Science and Technology, Kaohsiung 805, Taiwan
b Department of Photonics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan
c Department of Greenergy, National University of Tainan, Tainan 700, Taiwan

* Corresponding Author:

Chalcogenide Letters 2025, 22(7), 625-636. https://doi.org/10.15251/CL.2025.227.625

Received 14 March 2025; Accepted 15 July 2025;

Abstract

In this study, high-crystallinity zinc sulfide (ZnS) at the nanoscale was synthesized using a combination of electrospinning and hydrothermal techniques. Initially, polyvinyl butyral (PVB)/ZnS composite nanofibers were fabricated via electrospinning. Subsequently, a hydrothermal reaction was employed to induce a dissolution-recrystallization mechanism, enabling the gradual formation of highly crystalline ZnS nanoparticles. The structural, morphological, and compositional characteristics of the ZnS nanoparticles were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Finally, the photocatalytic activity of three different ZnS materials—synthesized via electrospinning, hydrothermal treatment, and hydrothermal-assisted electrospinning—were performed by degradation of methylene blue (MB) under visible light irradiation. This investigation aimed to elucidate the correlation between nanoscale structure, crystallinity, and photocatalytic performance.

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Keywords

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