ZnS powder was synthesized using a relatively facile and convenient glycothermal method at various reaction temperatures. ZnS was successfully synthesized at temperatures as low as 125 oC using zinc acetate and thiourea as raw materials, and diethylene glycol as the solvent. No mineralizers or precipitation processes were used in the fabrication, which suggests that the spherical ZnS powders were directly prepared in the glycothermal method. The phase composition, morphology, and optical properties of the prepared ZnS powders were characterized using XRD, FE-SEM, and UV-vis measurements. The prepared ZnS powders had a zinc blende structure and showed average primary particles with diameters of approximately 20~30 nm, calculated from the XRD peak width. All of the powders consisted of aggregated secondary powders with spherical morphology and a size of approximately 0.1~0.5 μm; these powders contained many small primary nanopowders. The as-prepared ZnS exhibited strong photo absorption in the UV region, and a red-shift in the optical absorption spectra due to the improvement in powder size and crystallinity with increasing reaction temperature. The effects of the reaction temperature on the photocatalytic properties of the ZnS powders were investigated. The photocatalytic properties of the assynthesized ZnS powders were evaluated according to the removal degree of methyl orange (MO) under UV irradiation (λ = 365 nm). It was found that the ZnS powder prepared at above 175 oC exhibited the highest photocatalytic degradation, with nearly 95 % of MO decomposed through the mediation of photo-generated hydroxyl radicals after irradiation for 60 min. These results suggest that the ZnS powders could potentially be applicable as photocatalysts for the efficient degradation of organic pollutants.

In this study, 3 mol% yttria-tetragonal zirconia polycrystal (3Y-TZP) nanoparticles were synthesized by the glycothermal method under various reaction temperatures and times. The co-precipitated precursor of 3Y-TZP was prepared by adding NH4OH to starting solutions, and then the mixtures were placed in an autoclave reactor. Tetragonal yttria-doped zirconia nanoparticles were afforded through a glycothermal reaction at a temperature as low as 220˚C, using co-precipitated gels of ZrCl4 and YCl3·6H2O as precursors and 1,4-butanediol as the solvent. The synthesized 3Y-TZP particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Raman spectroscopy. The 3Y-TZP particles have a stable tetragonal phase only at glycothermal temperatures above 200˚C. To investigate phase transition, the 3Y-TZP particles were heat treated from 400 to 1400˚C for 2 h. Raman analysis indicated that, after heat treatment, the tetragonal phase of the 3Y-TZP particles remained stable. The results of this study, therefore, suggest that 3Y-TZP powders can be prepared by the glycothermal method.