Room temperature synthesis of aqueous soluble covellite CuS nanocrystals with high photothermal conversion. Issue 30 (12th July 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Chen, Wenhui; Xie, Yi; Hu, Chao; Zeng, Tao; Jiang, Huirong; Qiao, Fen; Gu, Jiani; Dong, Xunyi; Zhao, Xiujian
• Is Part Of: CrystEngComm. Volume 20:Issue 30(2018)
• Page Start: 4283
• Page End: 4290
• Publication Date: 2018-07-12
• Subjects: Crystals -- Periodicals; Crystal growth -- Periodicals; Crystallography -- Periodicals; Cristaux -- Périodiques; Cristaux -- Croissance -- Périodiques; Cristallographie -- Périodiques; 548
• DOI: 10.1039/c8ce00644j
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1466-8033

Abstract

Abstract : Generating aqueous soluble covellite CuS nanocrystals with well-defined NIR plasmon absorbance by reacting Cu 2+ with S 2− ions via a facile and scalable protocol at room temperature, in the presence of various ligands. Abstract : Near-infrared plasmonic binary copper-based chalcogenides have found promising applications in photovoltaics and photothermal therapy. Here, we report a facile synthetic protocol for aqueous soluble covellite (CuS) nanocrystals (NCs) at room temperature. In contrast to previously reported routes, the present method involves the reaction of Cu precursors ( e.g. CuCl2, Cu(NO3 )2, Cu(Ac)2 ) with sulphur precursors ( e.g. Na2 S and (NH4 )2 S) under ambient conditions in the presence of various ligands, requiring neither high temperature and high pressure nor an inert atmosphere. The as-synthesized CuS NCs, without any further ligand exchange, can be readily dispersed in water and exhibit well-defined near-infrared (NIR) plasmon absorbance. The scalability and reproducibility of the present procedure allow for the gram-scale production of CuS NCs in a one-pot reaction, which is elaborated by upscaling the amounts of precursors and solvents/ligands. In particular, when excited with an 806 nm laser (1.2 W cm −2 ), the aqueous soluble covellite NCs produce significant photothermal heating with a photothermal transduction efficiency of 20.3%, comparable to previously reported binary copper chalcogenides. Combined with good photothermal transduction properties, photostability and synthesis scalability, the present work provides a general and cost-effective synthetic protocol for not only Cu2− x S but also other copper chalcogenides for promising photothermal applications.