Thermal, structural and optical properties of {CdS}–Na86X composites

Abstract

Thermal, structural and optical properties of CdS superclusters grown in zeolite Na₈₆X are reported. The interest in this work arose in the need to study CdS prepared in the zeolite host, at high concentrations (>19%), in order to observe porosyte behaviour and CdS aggregate properties. The semiconductor–zeolite composite was studied using X-ray diffraction analysis and photoacoustic technique (PAS). The properties of semiconductor CdS embedded in a zeolite matrix were analysed as a function of the CdS concentration by monitoring Cd concentration (atom%) by chemical analysis. The results show that as the concentration of CdS increases, the thermal diffusivity, capacity, conductivity and the band-gap increase up to a point where the zeolite lattice collapses. From this point on, all these thermal properties diminish and the band-gap is the same as for bulk CdS.