Self-Assembly of Copper Sulfide Nanoparticles into Nanoribbons with Continuous Crystallinity

Abstract

Copper chalcogenide nanoparticles (NPs) represent a promising material for solar energy conversion, electrical charge storage, and plasmonic devices. However, it is difficult to achieve high-quality NP dispersions in experimentally convenient and technologically preferred aqueous media. Also problematic is the transition from NP dispersion to continuously crystalline nanoscale materials, for instance, nanowires, nanoribbons, or similar high aspect ratio nano/microstructures capable of charge transport necessary for such applications. All previous examples of copper sulfide assemblies contained insulating gaps between NPs. Here we show that aqueous synthesis of high-quality monodispersed high-chalcocite β-Cu2S NPs, with sizes from 2 to 10 nm, is possible. When reaction time increased, the NP shape evolved from nearly spherical particles into disks with predominantly hexagonal shape. Moreover, the monodispersed β-Cu2S NPs were found to spontaneously self-assemble into nanochains and, subsequently, to nanoribbons. The width and length of the nanoribbons were 4-20 nm and 50-950 nm, respectively, depending on the assembly conditions. We observed the formation of the nanoribbons with continuous crystal lattice and charge transport pathways, making possible the utilization of self-assembly processes in the manufacturing of photovoltaic, plasmonic, and charge storage devices.

Aqueous synthesis of PEGylated copper sulfide nanoparticles for photoacoustic imaging of tumors

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“…[14][15][16][17] In addition, its size-dependent NIR absorption behavior in small size regime (<10 nm) favors the in vivo bioapplications for tumor imaging. [27][28][29] Nevertheless, due to the inherent dipole-dipole interaction, strong interactions among the NPs often lead to particle aggregation. Up to now, the synthesis of water-soluble copper sulfide NPs is mainly achieved through two synthetic routes: indirect organic-phase synthesis followed by a ligandexchange process, and direct aqueous-phase synthesis.…”

Pressure compression of CdSe nanoparticles into luminescent nanowires

“…The ease of the compressive process facilitates fundamental understanding of nanomaterial coupling through energy transfer. We envision that this method could apply to a variety of other semiconductor and magnetic materials ( 35 , 36 ). …”

Copper nanoparticles embedded in the triphenylamine functionalized bithiazole–metal complex as active photocatalysts for visible light-driven hydrogen evolution

“…It has been seen that the average of mean diameters of the Cu NPs supported on Cu-2TPABTz is 4.7 nm (Fig. 53 More specically, as shown in Fig. 36,48 Likewise, it is found that critical particle sized Cu NPs (around 4.7 nm) embedded in Cu-2TPABTz display excellent photocatalysis aermentioned.…”