Normal and flattened rhombic dodecahedral sub-micrometer Ag 2 S particles were synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method. The effects of molar ratio of thiourea (Tu) to AgNO 3 and volume of concentrated HCl aqueous solution on the morphologies of Ag 2 S particles have been systematically investigated. Experimental results indicated that the formation of soluble Ag-Tu complexes was a key issue to regulate the morphology of final products. The stability and decomposition of the soluble complexes were found to be dependent on the molar ratios of Tu to AgNO 3 and HCl. A body-centered cubic to monoclinic phase-transfer mechanism was proposed to explain the formation of regularly morphological Ag 2 S particles.
Experiment section PreparationAll chemicals were of analytical grade and purchased from Chinese domestic suppliers. Ultra pure water with resistivity