DIHEXADECYL PHOSPHATE, VESICLE-STABILIZED AND INSITU GENERATED MIXED CDS AND ZNS SEMICONDUCTOR PARTICLES - PREPARATION AND UTILIZATION FOR PHOTOSENSITIZED CHARGE SEPARATION AND HYDROGEN GENERATION

Semiconductor particles, comprised of either homogeneous mixed crystals of ZnxCd1-xS or crystals of CdS coated on the surface with ZnS, were in situ generated in and stabilized by dihexadecyl phosphate (DHP) vesicles. Introduction of H2S into solutions which contained Cd2+- and Zn2+-coated DHP vesicles, at pH values higher than 9, resulted in the formation of colloidal mixed crystals of ZnxCd1-xS. Surfactant vesicles were found to regulate the composition and band gap of the ZnxCd1-xS particles produced. Addition of Zn2+ to a DHP-stabilized CdS solution followed by the introduction of H2S led to the formation of ZnS-coated CdS particles.