Surfactant-assisted growth of crystalline copper sulphide nanowire arrays

Single-step synthesis of ternary metal chalcogenides (sf-CuInS2 and sf-CuInSe2) stripped off the organic cover and their use as a catalyst for symmetric Glaser-Hay coupling reactions

Generally, inorganic nano/microparticles produced by chemical routes are covered by organic surfactants or polymers to control their agglomeration during their synthesis. However, these surfactants and polymers negatively affect their catalytic activity because these molecules mask the surface. This work presents the synthesis of surfactant-free CuInS2 and CuInSe2 (sf-CuInS2 and sf-CuInSe2) nano/microparticles through simple reactions without surfactant or polymer coatings using LiBH4 under a thermodynamically favourable condition. These reactions are rare observations of a single-step process to produce ternary metal chalcogenides without any template assistance. We have also demonstrated efficient catalysis by sf-CuInS2 nanoparticles in the coupling reaction of substituted phenylacetylenes. We tested it as catalysts in dimerizing 1,3-diyne derivatives while using 8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) as the base. These Glassar-Hay coupling reactions are conducted at room temperature in acetonitrile (4-7 h, depending on the substrate) using 10 mg of sf-CuInS2. The maximum yield obtained in these reactions is 97%, while the catalyst is reusable for five cycles with little difference in its ability to catalyse. The effectiveness of the catalyst is credited to the availability of a free catalytic surface.

Cu2S nanosheets for ultrashort pulse generation in the near-infrared region

2D metal chalcogenide materials have received enormous attention due to their extraordinary bio-chemical, electronic, magnetic, thermal and optical properties. Compared with the typical two-dimensional transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) and topological insulators, cuprous sulfide (Cu2S) has very different two-dimensional lattice structures, along with excellent electro-catalysis and high conductivity. However, the nonlinear optical properties of Cu2S have never been studied until now. Here, the nonlinear photonics characteristics of Cu2S and its application in ultrafast lasers have been systematically studied for the first time. Through optical deposition of Cu2S nanosheets on a tapered fiber, the nonlinear optical properties of Cu2S nanosheets are measured through the interaction with the evanescent field. The results indicate that superior nonlinear saturable absorption properties with a modulation depth of 0.51% are achieved. An erbium-doped fiber (EDF) laser is constructed to verify the performance of the Cu2S saturable absorber (SA). The results show that an output pulse with 8.06 MHz repetition rate, 1.04 ps pulse duration, 1530.4 nm central wavelength and 3.1 nm spectral width without an obvious Kelly sideband is obtained. Considering the diversity of the metal chalcogenide family, various engineering applications may be developed from the nonlinear saturable absorption characteristics of Cu2S, including optical fiber communication/sensing, precision optical metrology, material processing and nonlinear optics.

Large Area α-Cu2S Particle-Stacked Nanorod Arrays by Laser Ablation in Liquid and Their Strong Structurally Enhanced and Stable Visible Photoelectric Performances

A flexible route is developed for fabrication of large area α-Cu₂S nanorod arrays (NRAs) on the basis of one-step laser ablation of a copper foil in CS₂ liquid. It has been demonstrated that the obtained products are the high-temperature phase α-Cu₂S and consist of the nanorods vertically standing on the Cu foil, exhibiting the array. The nanorods were about 1 μm in length and around 100 nm in thickness and built by stacking the nearly spherical and ⟨110⟩-oriented nanoparticles (NPs) up. Such array can be peeled off from the foil and remain freestanding. Further, it has been found that the ablation duration, the laser power, and the foil surface state are crucial to the formation of the Cu₂S NRA. The formation of such oriented NP-stacked Cu₂S NRAs is attributed to the laser-induced generation of α-Cu₂S NPs and the NPs' deposition/oriented connection growth on the surface-vulcanized copper foil. Importantly, the visible photocurrent response of the α-Cu₂S NRAs is 8 times higher than that of the Cu₂S NPs' film with the equivalent thickness and also larger than that of previously reported Cu₂S, showing significantly enhanced photoelectric performances. As an application, such NRAs have exhibited markedly enhanced visible photocatalytic activity and highly stable recycling performances, compared with the α-Cu₂S NPs. Further studies have revealed that the enhanced performances are attributed to the structurally enhanced light trapping effect of the NRAs as well as short and smooth carrier diffusion path in the oriented NP-stacked nanorods. This work provides a new and simple method for fabrication of the large area Cu₂S NRAs with high and stable photoelectric performances.

Carbon quantum dots decorated Cu2S nanowire arrays for enhanced photoelectrochemical performance

The photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance of Cu2S nanowire arrays (NWAs) has been demonstrated to be greatly enhanced by dipping-assembly of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) on the surfaces of Cu2S NWAs. Experimental results show that the pristine Cu2S NWAs with higher aspect ratios exhibit better PEC performance due to the longer length scale for light absorption and the shorter length scale for minority carrier diffusion. Importantly, the CQDs decorated Cu2S NWAs exhibit remarkably enhanced photocurrent density, giving a photocurrent density of 1.05 mA cm(-2) at 0 V vs. NHE and an optimal photocathode efficiency of 0.148% under illumination of AM 1.5G (100 mW cm(-2)), which is 4 times higher than that of the pristine Cu2S NWAs. This can be attributed to the improved electron transfer and the energy-down-shift effect of CQDs. We believe that this inexpensive Cu2S/CQD photocathode with increased photocurrent density opens up new opportunities in PEC water splitting.

Cu1.94S-Assisted Growth of Wurtzite CuInS2 Nanoleaves by In Situ Copper Sulfidation

Wurtzite CuInS2 nanoleaves were synthesized by Cu1.94S-assisted growth. By observing the evolution of structures and phases during the growth process, Cu1.94S nanocrystals were found to be formed after uninterrupted oxidation and sulfidation of copper nanoparticles at the early stage, serving as catalysts to introduce the Cu and In species into CuInS2 nanoleaves growth for inherent property of fast ionic conductor. The obtained CuInS2 nanoleaves were characterized by scanning transmission electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, fast Fourier transform, X-ray diffraction, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy mapping. The enhancement of photoresponsive current of CuInS2 nanoleaf film, evaluated by I-V curves of nanoleaf film, is believed to be attributed to the fast carrier transport benefit from the nature of single crystalline of CuInS2 nanoleaves.

Core-Shell CdS-Cu₂S Nanorod Array Solar Cells

As an earth-abundant p-type semiconductor, copper sulfide (Cu2S) is an attractive material for application in photovoltaic devices. However, it suffers from a minority carrier diffusion length that is less than the length required for complete light absorption. Core-shell nanowires and nanorods have the potential to alleviate this difficulty because they decouple the length scales of light absorption and charge collection. To achieve this geometry using Cu2S, cation exchange was applied to an array of CdS nanorods to produce well-defined CdS-Cu2S core-shell nanorods. Previous work has demonstrated single-nanowire photovoltaic devices from this material system, but in this work, the cation exchange chemistry has been applied to nanorod arrays to produce ensemble-level devices with microscale sizes. The core-shell nanorod array devices show power conversion efficiencies of up to 3.8%. In addition, these devices are stable when measured in air after nearly one month of storage in a desiccator. These results are a first step in the development of large-area nanostructured Cu2S-based photovoltaics that can be processed from solution.

Synthesis and self-assembly of partially sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s and their role in the formation of Cu2S nanowires

Partially sulfonated poly(arylene ether sulfone)s was synthesized by one-step S_NAr copolymerization and self-assembled into spherical micelles in aqueous solutions, which assisted formation of Cu₂S nanowires on various substrates.

Growth of copper sulfide dendrites and nanowires from elemental sulfur on TEM Cu grids under ambient conditions

Copper sulfide dendrites and subsequent uniform nanowires up to tens of micrometers long can be grown on carbon-coated transmission electron microscopy (TEM) Cu grids from elemental sulfur at room temperature under ambient conditions without any solvent and surfactants. TEM and high-resolution TEM studies demonstrated the morphology evolution of Cu₂S from dendrites into ultra-long nanowires with increasing ageing time. The sulfur species influenced significantly the growth rate of Cu₂S dendrites and nanowires, but the final morphology remained the same. The native oxide on the surface of Cu grids played a critical role in the formation of Cu₂S dendrites and nanowires. The crystal structures and phase purity of Cu₂S samples were confirmed by x-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). A solid-liquid-solid growth model may be considered a potential mechanism in Cu₂S morphology evolution on the basis of the experimental results. Most importantly, the present study provides a simple and environmentally friendly route for the growth of one-dimensional (1D) Cu₂S on Cu substrate.

Large-area aligned branched Cu(2)S nanostructure arrays: room-temperature synthesis and growth mechanism

In this work, an effective approach to synthesize large-area Cu(2)S hierarchical nanotree arrays is presented: Cu nanowire arrays synthesized via template-assisted electrodeposition are used as precursors for the self-growth of branched Cu(2)S nanotree arrays by a gas-solid reaction in H(2)S atmosphere at room temperature. The branched Cu(2)S nanotrees with a high aspect ratio are vertically aligned over the Au film surface, forming a nanoscale 'forest'. Electron microscopy studies reveal that the treelike branched nanostructures are composed of an end-capped tubular Cu(2)S trunk and radially organized Cu(2)S nanorod branches over the trunk. A formation mechanism of the hollow trunk and the nanobranches is proposed on the basis of experimental observations.

In situ fabrication of inorganic nanowire arrays grown from and aligned on metal substrates

The full potential of nanotechnology can be unleashed only when one is able not only to synthesize a rich variety of nanoscale building blocks but also assemble them into various patterns at the supramolecular and supracluster levels. In particular, the application of nanoparticle and nanowire materials often requires their assembly in the form of thin films, preferably on conductive surfaces for electrical addressing, control, and detection. Although a dazzling array of nanostructures has been fabricated by bottom-up approaches, one of the contemporary challenges is to assemble these nanostructures so that they introduce and realize functionalities. An alluring avenue is to simultaneously accomplish both the nanostructure synthesis and assembly on a useful substrate in a parallel fashion, affording the advantages of simplicity, low cost, and high throughput. In this Account, we review our recent work on growing inorganic nanowires (for example, metal sulfides, metal oxides, and so forth) directly from and on metal substrates in arrays without using templates and catalysts. This method of engineering nanowire arrays on metal substrates integrates the nanowire synthesis and assembly into a parallel process, both in time and in space, by exploiting in situ chemistry on the metal substrates. Both gas-phase and solution-phase approaches have been developed to synthesize the aligned nanowires; here, full advantage is taken of interfacial kinetics of restricted diffusion and surface-specific reactions, often accompanied by new interfacial growth mechanisms. The setting of nanowire arrays on metal substrates has allowed exploration of their application potentials in areas such as field electron emission and chemical sensing. The approaches described here are general, and we predict that they will be extended to more inorganic materials, such as metal halides. Moreover, as more control is achieved with synthetic methods, inorganic nanowire arrays should provide unusual magnetic, optical, and electronic properties for nanostructural engineers willing to confront the attendant challenges. Accordingly, applications for which there is a current impetus for progress, such as solar cells or lithium ion secondary batteries, might well be addressed with this methodology.

Well-Aligned Arrays of CuO Nanoplatelets

This paper reports well-aligned arrays of CuO nanoplatelets synthesized through a hydrothermal route without template's assistance. The surface of well-aligned arrays of CuO nanoplatelets looks like a wall. These nanoplatelets, possessing four clear edges, are 50-80 nm in thickness, 150-250 nm in width, and 0.8-1.5 microm in length. Electron microscopic detection shows that the nanoplatelet grows along the [010] direction. The Ostwald ripening mechanism has been used to describe the growth of CuO nanoplatelets. In addition, the optic and electrochemical properties of as-obtained products have been discussed. And the arrays of CuO nanoplatelets exhibit the blue shift in UV-visible spectra, a slow capacity fading rate, and a relatively high Coulombic efficiency in charge-discharge process.

Growth of Cu2S Ultrathin Nanowires in a Binary Surfactant Solvent

We demonstrate a facile solution-phase method for the synthesis of single-crystal, high aspect ratio, and ultrathin nanowires of hexagonal-phase Cu2S by thermal decomposition of CuS2CNEt2 in a mixed surfactant solvent of dodecanethiol and oleic acid at 160 degrees C. Cu2S nanowires can be controllably synthesized with a diameter as thin as 1.7 nm and length up to tens of micrometers; they are usually aligned in the form of bundles with a thickness of hundreds of nanometers. Based on the experimental results, the formation mechanism of the ultrathin nanowires has been properly proposed. Some key synthetic parameters, which have a significant effect on the sizes and shapes of the products, have also been investigated in detail. UV-vis spectroscopy measurement reveals that the resultant ultrathin nanowires show a strong quantum size effect.

Low-Temperature Synthesis of Single Crystalline Ag2S Nanowires on Silver Substrates

We report on the successful synthesis of silver sulfide (Ag(2)S) nanowires by a simple and mild gas-solid reaction approach. For the nanowire synthesis, a preoxidized silver substrate is exposed to an atmosphere of an O(2)/H(2)S mixture at room temperature or slightly above. The resulting Ag(2)S nanowires are phase pure with a monoclinic crystal structure and have diameters of a few tens of nanometers and lengths up to 100 mum. The influence of reaction conditions on the diameter, length, and morphology of the Ag(2)S nanowires has been studied by a number of structural and spectroscopic techniques. The nanowire growth mechanism on the Ag substrate has been discussed, which is likely characterized by continuous deposition at the tip. Additionally, we demonstrate thinning and cutting of individual Ag(2)S nanowires with electron beams and laser beams, which are potentially useful for nanowire manipulation and engineering.

Controlled reactions on a copper surface: synthesis and characterization of nanostructured copper compound films

We report the synthesis of nanostructured copper compound films on a copper surface under mild conditions. A series of low-dimensional structures including Cu(OH)(2) fibers and scrolls, CuO sheets and whiskers, and Cu(2)(OH)(2)CO(3) rods have been successfully grown on the copper surfaces at ambient temperature and pressure. Most of the structures are phase-pure single crystallites. The films were formed by the direct oxidation of copper in aqueous solutions of NaOH with an oxidant (NH(4))(2)S(2)O(8). The evolution of the ultrafine structures as a function of the reaction conditions has been revealed, from fibers of Cu(OH)(2) to scrolls of Cu(OH)(2) to sheets or whiskers of CuO. By replacing NaOH with NaHCO(3) in the synthesis, square/rectangular rod arrays of Cu(2)(OH)(2)CO(3) were obtained. The controlled reactions allow the large-scale, template-free, cost-effective synthesis of copper compound films with ordered, uniform, stable, ultrafine structures.