Copper Sulfide Nanostructures Research Articles

Spontaneous growth of copper sulfide nanowires from elemental sulfur in carbon-coated Cu grids

Uniform copper sulfide nanowires up to tens of micrometers long can be grown on carbon-coated Cu grids from elemental sulfur by several days of aging at room temperature in air without solvent. The copper sulfide nanostructures are characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high-resolution transmission electro microscopy (HRTEM), and the phase purity is further confirmed by energy dispersive X-ray (EDX). Particle size of sulfur sources influences significantly the growth periods of copper sulfide nanowires, but the morphology of the final product remained the same. A possible growth mechanism has been discussed on the basis of a series of TEM observation of the product obtained at different durations.