Copper Sulfide Nanoplates Research Articles

Pre-ceramic polymer-assisted nucleation and growth of copper sulfide nanoplates

Polymer-derived ceramics derived from pre-ceramic polymers (PCPs), have access to several form factors and are highly tunable systems. Tunability can be further expanded with the incorporation of functional nanoparticle fillers throughout the matrix for advanced nanocomposite polymer-derived ceramic development. However, capping ligands used in nanoparticle syntheses mix unfavorably with PCPs, giving aggregated filler material and diminished properties. To control dispersion, secondary nanoparticle processing is performed by adhering PCP-miscible caps to the surface after synthesis. This often sacrifices size control established for small nanoparticles (<10 nm). Herein, we successfully eliminate the need for extra nanoparticle processing through the development of a one-pot, copper sulfide synthesis in which a PCP assists the stable formation of nanoparticles and serves as the final graft molecule. We monitor the success of this methodology and the PCP’s role in the reaction through several characterization methods probing both the nanoparticle core and polymer graft.

Constructing hyperbranched polymers as a stable elastic framework for copper sulfide nanoplates for enhancing sodium-storage performance.

Electrochemical conversion reactions offer a new avenue to build high-capacity anodes for sodium-ion batteries. However, poor long-term cyclability and low coulombic efficiency at the first cycle remain a significant challenge for practical Na-ion battery applications. Herein, a novel hyperbranched polymer is used as a template and electrode additive to construct unique hierarchical Cu9S5 nanoplates. With an internal uniform distribution, the additive could regulate the morphology and microstructure of Cu9S5 and offer a buffering matrix to alleviate nanoparticle aggregation and enhance solid-state Na+ ion diffusion. This Cu9S5 composite anode exhibits a high reversible capacity of 429 mA h g-1 at 100 mA g-1, a high coulombic efficiency of 94.3% at the first cycle, a superior rate capability of 300 mA h g-1 at 20 A g-1, and an outstanding cyclability with 82.2% capacity retention after 1000 cycles. The kinetic study reveals that Cu9S5-AHP nanoplates show a low charge transfer resistance and high Na+ diffusion coefficient (∼10-9 cm2 s-1). The present work suggests a potentially feasible anode material for sodium-ion batteries and, more significantly, demonstrates a novel strategy for the construction of high-performance conversion materials for sodium-ion batteries.

Selective Castration-resistant Prostate Cancer Photothermal Ablation With Copper Sulfide Nanoplates

To explore new therapies for castration-resistant prostate cancer to improve patients' quality of life and extend life. The synthesis, morphology analysis, phase analysis, spectral analysis, and photothermal conversion test were referenced to our previous articles. Then near-infrared light-driven copper sulfide (CuS) nanoplates to inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in vivo and in vitro was carried out. Transmission electron microscope, mCherry-LC3 syncytial virus labeling, acridine orange staining, and autophagy protein were used to detect the autophagy caused by CuS nanoplates and chloroquine was used to inhibit the process of autophagy. The CuS nanoplates prepared in this study feature low cytotoxicity, simple preparation, and high photothermal conversion efficiency. Driven by 980 nm near-infrared light, CuS nanoplates could inhibit the growth of prostate cancer cells in vivo and in vitro, while triggering the autophagy and cytoprotection of prostate cancer cells. CuS nanoplates are a kind of commendable photothermal therapy agent in castration-resistant prostate cancer treating. Autophagy inhibition enhances the photothermal efficiency of CuS nanoplates, which indicates favorable application prospects in the treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Transparent heat insulation coatings with high selective shielding ability designed with novel superstructures of copper sulfide nanoplates

In the present work, novel CuS superstructures composed of intersectional CuS nanoplates (CuS i-nanoplates) and snowflake-like CuS nanoplates (CuS s-nanoplates) were successfully synthesized at a low temperature (80 °C) by a simple chemical precipitation method. It has been found that the as-synthesized CuS superstructures were formed by the growth of CuS i-nanoplates along the direction perpendicular to the basal nanoplate with a thickness of 29.64 ± 3.16 nm and CuS s-nanoplates were prepared with the snowflake-like morphology with a thickness of 16.82 ± 3.62 nm. Subsequently, a new transparent heat insulation coating with CuS superstructures composed of CuS i-nanoplates as NIR shielding agent (coded as H–X coating) was prepared by mixing with acrylic-amino-alkyd baking varnish and coating to ordinary glass substrates. Simultaneously, another transparent heat insulation coating with s-nanoplates (coded as S–X coating) was also synthesized. Optical properties of those coatings were studied as a function of the CuS content by using ultraviolet–visible–near-infrared spectrophotometer. And the H–X coatings were shown to have a higher selective shielding ability for solar light than S–X coatings since the shielding ability of S–X coatings in the region of 1180–2500 nm rapidly weakened with increasing wavelength. The comparative study on the properties of nanomaterials with different morphologies in this paper may provide some new guidance for material design to improve its performance. Moreover, the CuS superstructure-based transparent heat insulation coatings with excellent NIR shielding property have a potential application in energy-saving windows for architectures and vehicles.

Atomic visualization of a non-equilibrium sodiation pathway in copper sulfide

Sodium ion batteries have been considered a promising alternative to lithium ion batteries for large-scale energy storage owing to their low cost and high natural abundance. However, the commercialization of this device is hindered by the lack of suitable anodes with an optimized morphology that ensure high capacity and cycling stability of a battery. Here, we not only demonstrate that copper sulfide nanoplates exhibit close-to-theoretical capacity (~560 mAh g–1) and long-term cyclability, but also reveal that their sodiation follows a non-equilibrium reaction route, which involves successive crystallographic tuning. By employing in situ transmission electron microscopy, we examine the atomic structures of four distinct sodiation phases of copper sulfide nanoplates including a metastable phase and discover that the discharge profile of copper sulfide directly reflects the observed phase evolutions. Our work provides detailed insight into the sodiation process of the high-performance intercalation–conversion anode material.

Direct fabrication of two-dimensional copper sulfide nanoplates on transparent conducting glass for planar supercapacitor

An in-planar two-dimensional supercapacitor was fabricated utilizing chemically deposited copper sulfide (CuS) nanoplates on patterned fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) glass substrate. The morphology and structural properties of the CuS thin films were analyzed using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The fabricated CuS planar supercapacitor device demonstrated a promising electrochemical performance due to the pseudocapacitance induced by Li+ ions intercalation/deintercalation process on the electrode surface. A maximum areal capacitance of 4.9 mF cm−2 was delivered by the CuS thin film device with an energy and power density of 4 × 10−7 W h cm−2 and 2 mW cm−2 respectively. Moreover, the planar supercapacitor exhibited an excellent cyclic stability of ∼94% capacitance retention after 5000 charge/discharge cycles.

In vitro and in vivo toxicity studies of copper sulfide nanoplates for potential photothermal applications

Copper sulfide (CuS) has emerged as a promising photothermal agent. However, its potential toxic effects still remained poorly understood. Herein, CuS nanoplates were synthesized for toxicity assessment. The in vitro study indicated that the cell viability decreased when CuS nanoplate concentration was higher than 100 μg/mL. CuS nanoplates caused apparent toxicity to HUVEC and RAW 264.7 cells. For acute toxicity, maximum tolerated dose and lethal dose 50 were 8.66 and 54.5 mg/kg, respectively. Furthermore, the sub-chronic toxicity test results indicated that there was no obvious effect at tested doses during the test period. The biodistribution study showed that intravenously administrated CuS nanoplates were mainly present in the spleen, liver and lung. Taken together, our results shed light on the rational design of CuS nanomaterials to minimize toxicity, thus providing a useful guideline in selecting CuS as the photothermal agent for cancer therapy. From the Clinical EditorPhotothermal ablation therapy is a promising new treatment modality for cancer. One of the potential photothermal agents is copper sulfide (CuS). In this article, the potential toxic effects of CuS nanoplates were studied. The authors showed that further modification on the design of CuS nanomaterials was needed to minimize toxicity.

Facile one-pot synthesis of polytypic CuGaS2 nanoplates

CuGaS2 (CGS) nanoplates were successfully synthesized by one-pot thermolysis of a mixture solution of CuCl, GaCl3, and 1-dodecanethiol in noncoordinating solvent 1-octadecene. Their morphology, crystalline phase, and composition were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), respectively. Crystalline structure analysis showed that the as-prepared CGS nanoplates were polytypic, in which the wurtzite phase was interfaced with zincblende domains. The growth process of CGS nanoplates was investigated. It was found that copper sulfide nanoplates were firstly formed and then the as-formed copper sulfide nanoplates gradually transformed to CGS nanoplates with proceeding of the reaction. The optical absorption of the as-synthesized CGS nanoplates was also measured and the direct optical bandgap was determined to be 2.24 eV.

Synthesis and reaction temperature-tailored self-assembly of copper sulfide nanoplates

Nanostructured copper sulfides have attracted much attention due to their unique electronic and optical properties and potential applications in many areas. This article presents a high-temperature precursor-injection method to synthesize covellite copper sulfide (CuS) nanoplates by using oleylamine as capping ligands. The synthesized CuS nanoplates were found to be self-assembled into face-to-face one-dimensional columnar arrays with the longest column of 0.75 μm. Further studies showed that the reaction temperature has strong effects on the size, size distribution and the self-assembly behaviors of the CuS nanoplates. The self-assembly behaviors were found to be tuned by the reaction temperature. In the range of 140–180 °C, the face-to-face self-assembly is formed over the entire substrate, whereas only edge-to-edge arrangements were observed at the reaction temperature of 200 °C. As the temperature further increases, the product exhibits a mixture of large and small nanocrystals and there is not any presence of self-assembly. The present study highlights the size-controlled synthesis of copper sulfide nanoplates and their self-assembly behaviors dependent on reaction temperature.

Size Control of Monodisperse Copper Sulfide Faceted Nanocrystals and Triangular Nanoplates

High-quality faceted nanocrystals and triangular nanoplates of copper sulfide have been successfully synthesized by using the single source precursor method in the presence of oleylamine. The obtained faceted copper sulfide nanocrystals have an average size of 9.8 ± 0.3 nm, showing the regularly hexagonal closely packed nanostructure. The resulting triangular copper sulfide nanoplates have an average side length of 12.3 ± 0.6 nm, thickness of 0.8 nm, forming the six-leave flowerlike nanostructure due to their size uniformity. We also demonstrate that the shape, size, and even the phase forms of copper sulfide nanocrystals can be controlled systematically by adjusting certain reaction parameters, such as the carbon number of the substitute alkyl (n), the reaction temperature, and the concentration of the precursor.