Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
Nanoparticles of CdS (5.0 nm diameter) are prepared in aqueous solution, and copper or silver ions are incorporated into the nanoparticle lattice (doped) or adsorbed to the nanoparticle surface (activated). The materials are characterized by ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. The photoluminescence efficiency of the materials is affected by the concentration of the foreign ion. The effect of spatial location (doped vs. activated) on the spectral distribution of the emission are modest. Photodecomposition of copper-doped CdS is suppressed compared to CdS alone.