Characterization of mechanochemically synthesized ZnSe in a laboratory and an industrial mill

Nanocrystalline ZnSe was prepared by mechanochemical synthesis in a laboratory mill and an industrial mill from the mixture of Zn and Se powdered precursors. XRD measurements indicate the formation of the cubic and hexagonal modifications of ZnSe during mechanochemical synthesis in the laboratory mill. Hexagonal modification disappears with increasing time of mechanochemical reaction. XPS analysis was applied to study the surface composition of mechanosynthesized ZnSe. The reaction products were also characterized by TEM. An application of the industrial mill verified the possibility of a large-scale mechanochemical production of ZnSe semiconductor at ambient temperature and in a relatively short reaction time (15–60 min).