Single Precursor Research Articles

Unveiling the cell biology of hippocampal neurons with dendritic axon origin.

In mammalian axon-carrying-dendrite (AcD) neurons, the axon emanates from a basal dendrite, instead of the soma, to create a privileged route for action potential generation at the axon initial segment (AIS). However, it is unclear how such unusual morphology is established and whether the structure and function of the AIS in AcD neurons are preserved. By using dissociated hippocampal cultures as a model, we show that the development of AcD morphology can occur prior to synaptogenesis and independently of the in vivo environment. A single precursor neurite first gives rise to the axon and then to the AcD. The AIS possesses a similar cytoskeletal architecture as the soma-derived AIS and similarly functions as a trafficking barrier to retain axon-specific molecular composition. However, it does not undergo homeostatic plasticity, contains lesser cisternal organelles, and receives fewer inhibitory inputs. Our findings reveal insights into AcD neuron biology and underscore AIS structural differences based on axon onset.

Nanocomposite Material Sb2S3:SnS:MnS2 its Fabrication and Utilization as Efficient Electrode for Energy Storage in Supercapacitor

AbstractThe nanocomposite material Sb2S3: SnS:MnS2 was fabricated by single precursor technique by using dithio‐carbamate ligand as Sb2S3:SnS:MnS2 (DDTC) complex. An internal and external look at the anatomy and activity of the substance was obtained by using a variety of analytical techniques like XRD, FTIR, UV‐Vis and SEM. Additionally, various electro‐analytical tools like LSV, CV, GCD and EIS were applied to confirm material's rich electro‐active capability for photoactive electrode. XRD revealed its average crystallite size of 12.33 nm with 82.8 % crystallinity. Optical characteristics represented describe effective semiconducting nature of nanomaterials with optimum band gap of 2.65 eV. By using electrochemical processes, LSV and CV demonstrated fertile opto‐electrical nature of Sb2S3: SnS: MnS2 (DDTC) material with specific capacitance, Csp, of 1080 F/g at scan rate of 2 mV/s. With a high specific power density of 2656 W/kg, the GCD technique attempted to validate the nature of the material as an electrode with a good charge‐discharge mechanism. In EIS, low series resistance, Rs=0.73 Ω, was observed to be very beneficial argument in validating the nanocomposite synthesized in this research project as effective and low‐cost material which can be applied in different energy producing and storing devices like solar system and super‐capacitors etc.

Aqueous photochemical aging of water-soluble smoke particles from crop straws burning

Most aqueous oxidation studies focus on single model precursors, while the photochemical aging of actual water soluble organic matter (WSOM) in particles emitted from biomass burning remains poorly understood. In this study, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was first used to analyze the WSOM in smoke particles emitted from three crop straws burning. The results show that the dominant WSOM in three crop straws (CS) smoke are phenolic substances with small differences. Aqueous photochemical aging of WSOM in CS smoke was investigated under simulated sunlight exposure. High-resolution aerosol mass spectrometry (HR-AMS) analyzed aqueous secondary organic aerosol (aqSOA) and it was found that the oxidation degree of aqSOA increased with prolonged aging. No obvious increase in the abundance of N-containing organic ions was observed over the course of aqueous aging. As aqueous aging progresses, the pH of the solution gradually decreases, accompanied by the continuous generation of organic acids. Studies on dithiothreitol (DTT) activity indicate that the impact of aqueous photochemical aging on health is not significant.The solution after photoaging shows relatively lower light absorption ability than the initial solution. The aqueous photochemical aging also led to a gradual reduction of fluorescence at excitation/emission = 250–260 nm/350 nm (protein-like substances) for CS smoke WSOM, suggesting the significant degradation of chromophores. However, three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence combined with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) revealed that aqueous aged CS smoke WSOM contains compounds with high humification index, confirming that the fluorophore composition is altered by aqueous aging. The humic-like substance (HULIS) concentration increased for the first 3 h and then decreased, closely matching the pattern of a new fluorescence peak. Finally, GC/MS analysis of the products indicated that there was obvious decline in proportion of methoxyphenol. The results of this study are important for understanding the aqueous-phase oxidation reactions of CS smoke WSOM in the atmosphere and their light-absorption characteristics and health impacts.

Single Source Precursor Path to 2D Materials: A Case Study of Solution‐Processed Molybdenum‐Rich MoSe2‐x Ultrathin Nanosheets

AbstractTwo‐dimensional Molybdenum diselenide is a versatile and promising material used for a wide range of applications and its synthesis in high quality and yield is currently the subject of intense research. Low temperature solution phase synthesis of nanomaterials using designed molecular precursors enjoys tremendous advantages over traditional high‐temperature solid‐state synthesis. However, molecular precursor chemistry of molybdenum selenide nanomaterials is almost non‐existent. We report here synthesis and structural characterization of new molybdenum molecular precursors with selenoether and selenourea ligands, which due to their easy synthesis, desired Mo/Se composition and moderate processing properties, are highly promising as single source precursors for the scale‐up production of 2D molybdenum diselenide materials. This is demonstrated by the solution‐phase decomposition of the Mo‐selenourea precursor which produced Mo‐rich MoSe2‐x ultrathin nanosheets (NSs) in good yield. These NSs were characterized by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectroscopy (ICP‐OES), Powder X‐ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT‐IR), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) studies.

Optimization of parameters for the preparation of AlN powder/thin films by tris(N,N,n’,n’-tetramethylethylenediamine) al(III) chloride precursor

The single source precursor tris(N,N,N’,N’-tetramethylethylenediamine)Al(III)Cl3 has been synthesized by the reaction of N,N,N’,N’-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA) with AlCl3 in 3:1 molar ratio in ethanol. The precursor is stable for long periods of time and cleanly generated aluminum nitride upon pyrolysis. The pyrolysis process was optimized by varying parameters such as temperature, pressure, and the flow rate of gases (N2 and Ar). Thin films of AlN were prepared by spin coating the precursor onto Si(100) and quartz substrates followed by pyrolysis under optimized CVD conditions obtained from bulk pyrolysis. Pyrolyzed powders and films were characterized with a variety of techniques. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed 8.5 nm grain size with a dominant 220 orientation. UV-Vis spectroscopy indicated a band gap for the AlN films of ∼5.7 eV, which is close to bulk AlN (6.1 eV). FESEM showed a smooth and homogeneous film surface and EDAX showed a 1.4:1 ratio of Al:N, respectively.

Synthesis of Zinc Sulfide Luminescent Nanoparticles Using Zinc Metal Complexes of S-benzyl Dithiocarbonate via Microwave Irradiation Route

This paper reported highly luminous zinc sulfide (ZnS) nanoparticles grown by microwave-irradiated single molecular precursors. The precursor was obtained by Schiff bases of S-benzyl dithiocarbazate (SBDTC) ligand using 5-Bromo-4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-2-nitro Benzaldehyde; 4NNbiscyno diethylamino benzaldehyde and p-amino acetophenone. The nanoparticles obtained were characterized by X-ray diffraction studies for structural analysis, transmission electron micrographs (TEM) for morphological analysis, and UV-Vis spectra for optical analysis. X-ray diffractograms exhibit mixed structures analysis (wurtzite and cubic) for particles obtained using 5-Bromo-4-hydroxy-3-methoxy-2-nitro benzaldehyde and 4NNbiscyno diethylamino benzaldehyde. However, the particles obtained by p-amino acetophenone Schiff bases of SBDTC exhibit only wurtzite structure. Variation in optical properties is also observed with the precursors used. The excellent optical properties of ZnS nanoparticles signify the role of microwave irradiation in synthesis. The Photoluminescence (PL) study shows the luminescence in the visible region and the maximum intensity for ZnS particles obtained by zinc complex of p-amino acetophenone Schiff base of S-benzyl dithiocarbazate. The microwave-assisted process can be used for large-scale production of nanoparticles for emitting light in the visible region in various detecting and sensing applications.

Hydrogen- assisted synthesis of defective triazine/heptazine homostructured nanosheets for efficient CO2photoreduction.

Homostructure construction has been demonstrated to be an effective way for boosting the photocatalytic activity of polymeric carbon nitride. However, the contribution of the intrinsic activity of molecular fragments in the catalytic performance of homostructured carbon nitride is yet to be explored. In this paper, a facile hydrogen-assisted strategy was used to synthesize triazine/heptazine intermolecular homojunctions (g-C3N4(MU-H)) with an ultrathin and defective structure, via the co-pyrolysis of melamine and urea precursors. Experimental characterizations and theoretical calculations revealed the copolymerization of triazine- and heptazine-based carbon nitride generated a homostructured interface with a large build-in electric field for efficient separation of photogenerated carriers. Due to the synergestic effect between the homostructured interface and nitrogen vacancies, as-synethesized g-C3N4(MU-H) exhibited an outstanding activity for photocatalytic CO2 reduction, with a CO yield rate of 14.45 μmol h-1, which was 23.5 and 3.64 times higher than those of bulk g-C3N4 and g-C3N4(M-H) synthesized from a single precursor, respectively. This study provides a new avenue for optimizing the charge separation efficiency of CO2 photoreduction catalysts by constructing intramolecular homojunction.

In Situ Single-phase Formation of LaCl(CN2) Mixed-Anion Compound Via Controlled Pyrolysis of La3+ Modified Melamine Precursor.

Nitride (N3-) or cyanamide (CN22-) based mixed-anion compounds stand as attractive materials due to their unique properties derived from the binary or multiple anions, although their synthesis remains challenging in incorporating the N3- or CN22- anions safely. This work highlights the first demonstration of in situ single phase formation of a LaCl(CN2) mixed-anion compound from a stable single source precursor, melamine modified with LaCl3 preparable under aqueous conditions. The in situ formation of LaCl(CN2) involves the chemical modification of melamine with LaCl3 to form a complex. Upon heating of the precursor under N2 flowing, this complex generates cyanamide species around 400 °C, which react with LaCl3 and nonsublimated melamine to afford a binary LaCl(CN2)/g-C3N4 composite. Further pyrolysis at 800 °C decomposes the g-C3N4 counterpart, resulting in the LaCl(CN2) single-phase formation. The electronic properties of the precursor-derived single phase LaCl(CN2) were studied by the density functional theory calculation and UV-vis spectroscopy combined with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analyses and characterized by measuring 4.7, 1.8, and -2.9 eV for the band gap energy, the valence band maximum, and the conduction band minimum relative to Fermi energy, respectively. This study paves the way for exploring various cyanamide-based mixed anion compounds, advancing their potential applications in various fields.

Folds from fold: Exploring topological isoforms of a single-domain protein

Expanding the protein fold space beyond linear chains is of fundamental significance, yet remains largely unexplored. Herein, we report the creation of seven topological isoforms (i.e., linear, cyclic, knot, lasso, pseudorotaxane, and catenane) from a single protein fold precursor by rewiring the connectivity of secondary structure elements of the SpyTag-SpyCatcher complex and mutating the reactive residue on SpyTag to abolish the isopeptide bonding. These topological isoforms can be directly expressed in cells. Their topologies were confirmed by combined techniques of proteolytic digestion, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), size-exclusion chromatography (SEC), and topological transformation. To study the effects of topology on their structures and properties, their biophysical properties were characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), heteronuclear single quantum coherence nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (HSQC-NMR), and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were further performed to reveal the atomic details of structural changes upon unfolding. Both experimental and simulation results suggest that they share a similar, well-folded hydrophobic core but exhibit distinct folding/unfolding dynamic behaviors. These results shed light onto the folding landscape of topological isoforms derived from the same protein fold. As a model system, this work improves our understanding of protein structure and dynamics beyond linear chains and suggests that protein folds are highly amenable to topological variation.

Achieving vertical orientation films with superior environmental stability in quasi-2D lead iodide perovskites

The incorporation of a spacer cation to improve the stability of lead halide perovskites entails a trade-off, notably compromising film quality and device performance, particularly in quais-2D variants employing a higher proportion of hydrophobic, larger spacer cations. Addressing this challenge in quasi-2D perovskite-based devices requires enhancement in film morphology, crystallinity, and vertical orientation to optimize charge transport. Herein, we present a simple one step spin coating synthesis approach for producing PEA2MAn-1PbnI3n+1 (n = 5–2) thin films from a single precursor solution. Notably, our method operates at room temperature without the need of usually toxic anti-solvent or specialized additives, resulting in high quality crystalline films that are vertically oriented and smooth. We systematically investigate the impact of annealing processes on crystal structure, including gradient annealing (GA) as well as thermal annealing at 100℃ for durations of 10 and 15 minutes. Our findings indicate that the films with n = 4 exhibits superior crystallinity and vertical crystallographic orientation, alongside reduced roughness, and minimal contamination of the lower n mixtures. Gradient annealing notably enhances the crystallinity of n = 3 films. While the surface of all the films appears smooth with flake-like structure, the n = 2 sample notably exhibits pitting.

Harnessing the Power of Sugar-Based Nanoparticles: A Drug-Free Approach to Enhance Immune Checkpoint Inhibition against Glioblastoma and Pancreatic Cancer.

Cancer cells have a high demand for sugars and express diverse carbohydrate receptors, offering opportunities to improve delivery with multivalent glycopolymer materials. However, effectively delivering glycopolymers to tumors while inhibiting cancer cell activity, altering cellular metabolism, and reversing tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) polarization to overcome immunosuppression remains a challenging area of research due to the lack of reagents capable of simultaneously achieving these objectives. Here, the glycopolymer-like condensed nanoparticle (∼60 nm) was developed by a one-pot carbonization reaction with a single precursor, promoting multivalent interactions for the galactose-related receptors of the M2 macrophage (TAM) and thereby regulating the STAT3/NF-κB pathways. The subsequently induced M2-to-M1 transition was increased with the condensed level of glycopolymer-like nanoparticles. We found that the activation of the glycopolymer-like condensed galactose (CG) nanoparticles influenced monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT-4) function, which caused inhibited lactate efflux (similar to inhibitor effects) from cancer cells. Upon internalization via galactose-related endocytosis, CG NPs induced cellular reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to dual functionalities of cancer cell death and M2-to-M1 macrophage polarization, thereby reducing the tumor's acidic microenvironment and immunosuppression. Blocking the nanoparticle-MCT-4 interaction with antibodies reduced their toxicity in glioblastoma (GBM) and affected macrophage polarization. In orthotopic GBM and pancreatic cancer models, the nanoparticles remodeled the tumor microenvironment from "cold" to "hot", enhancing the efficacy of anti-PD-L1/anti-PD-1 therapy by promoting macrophage polarization and activating cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and dendritic cells (DCs). These findings suggest that glycopolymer-like nanoparticles hold promise as a galactose-elicited adjuvant for precise immunotherapy, particularly in targeting hard-to-treat cancers.

Understanding the role played by Cu nanoparticles embedded in situ in a carbonaceous matrix as sulfur host for lithium-sulfur batteries

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is a promising alternative to Li-ion batteries as an energy storage system, owing to its higher capacity and specific energy values. To tackle its intrinsic problems, the element copper (Cu) is an attractive option given both its excellent conductivity and its ability to interact with highly reactive polysulfides. Here, we propose the use of a carbon/copper composite (90.5:9.5 wt ratio) obtained by thermal decomposition of a single precursor based on a Cu(II) oleate/oleic acid complex and eliminating the use of H2 as a reducing agent as commonly reported. Cu nanoparticles (mean particle size around 15 nm in diameter) which are highly dispersed on an amorphous carbon matrix derived from an organic framework, enhance both the conductivity and the ability for the chemical adsorption of lithium polysulfides (LiPSs), and thus increasing the reaction efficiency. Poor cycling stability, less specific capacity, and diminished rate capability were observed when the Cu content was reduced to around 70 % through treatment with concentrated nitric acid. This confirms the electrocatalytic role of the metal.

Remarkable performance of Co3O4 anode coated with hard-soft carbon 2D nanosheets prepared from single pavement petroleum asphalt precursor

Incorporating extraneous carbonaceous materials to coat transitional metal oxide (TMO) anodes emerges as a viable strategy to mitigate the pulverization of TMO anode during Li-ion insertion/extraction processes. Herein, hard-soft carbon coated Co3O4 (HC-SC@Co3O4) composites were synthesized by employing a facile NaCl-mediated pyrolysis with Co(NO3)2·6 H2O as the oxide precursor and pavement petroleum asphalt as the single hard-soft carbon source. Microscopic structure characterizations revealed that HC-SC@Co3O4 exhibited a core-shell structure with a fluffy nanoflower-like S/O co-doped carbon shell. Benefiting from its distinctive coating structure, the HC-SC@Co3O4 anode demonstrated remarkable cycling stability and significant initial coulombic efficiency (ICE) of 71 %, after 150 cycles at 100 mA g−1, it still maintained a capacity of 742 mAh g−1. Moreover, introduction of soft carbon delivered outstanding rate capability upon HC-SC@Co3O4 anode, evidenced by discharge capacities of 1108 and 571 mA h g−1 at 100 and 1000 mA g−1, respectively. This study not only presents the potential to effectively solve the challenge of TMO anodes in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), but also introduces an economically and environmentally approach for the efficient utilization of pavement petroleum asphalt.

Radical Difunctionalization of Unsaturated Hydrocarbons Employing the Same Functional Reagent

AbstractThe radical difunctionalization of unsaturated hydrocarbons serves as an efficient means to rapidly construct molecular skeletons and synthesize‐highly valuable compounds. In this transformational process, diverse positions within unsaturated hydrocarbons are sequentially functionalized by a single radical precursor reagent, thereby achieving highly efficient and selective transformations that promote atom economy. Furthermore, this approach minimizes the generation of numerous byproducts stemming from cross‐coupling reactions between reactants, owing to the reduction of the number of participating components. Therefore, this review provides an in‐depth analysis of the radical difunctionalization of unsaturated hydrocarbons utilizing a single functional reagent in recent decades. The discussion is based on eight different radical classes (carbon‐, nitrogen‐, phosphine‐, oxygen‐, sulfur‐, selenium‐, tellurium‐, and chlorine‐centered radicals), emphasizing the mechanism of specific radical difunctionalization. It also analyzes in detail the regulation of key factors such as regional selectivity, and provides unique insights into reaction transformations.

Catalytic and photocatalytic remediation of toxic dye on hexagonal CuS/Cu2S nanoplates derived from a single source precursor

Bis(4-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-1-carbodithioato)copper(II) was synthesized and decomposed to hexagonal copper sulfide (CuS/Cu2S) nanoplates (NPs) under ambient conditions using ethylenediamine as a decomposing agent and solvent. The optical property (UV–Vis) and structural analysis (XRD, HRTEM, TEM, SAED, and EDS) revealed the formation of visible light active (2.24 eV) hexagonal nanoplates of mixed composition (CuS/Cu2S) with size varying from 310 to 890 nm. CuS/Cu2S nanoplates possess both catalytic and photocatalytic properties and degrade Congo red entirely (100%) both in dark and light. However, in the presence of light (80 min) the degradation is faster than in the dark (120 min). The degradation follows pseudo-first-order kinetics in the presence and absence of light. The kinetics also explain that the dye first adsorb on the surface of CuS/Cu2S and then is mineralized. Furthermore, CuS/Cu2S nanoplates were photostable with good reusability. Additionally, the environmentally benign nature, catalyst photocatalytic properties, complete dye degradation, and no generation of secondary pollutants make CuS/Cu2S nanoplates an excellent material for environmental cleansing.

N,N-dibenzyl dithiocarbamato silver(I) as precursor for silver sulfide nanophotocatalysts for photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine 6G and trypan blue dyes

N,N-dibenzyl dithiocarbamate silver(I) was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques and single crystal X-ray crystallography. The complex crystallizes in the trigonal space group P31 to form a one-dimensional, chain-like polymeric structure connected by Ag-Ag argentophilic and Ag-S interactions. The complex was used as single source precursor and thermolyzed at 120, 160 and 200 °C in 1-dodecanethiol to prepare silver sulfide nanoparticles (AgS-120, AgS-160 and AgS-200). TEM images showed quasi-spherical nanoparticles with average particle sizes of 4.0, 5.4 and 5.5 nm for nanoparticles prepared at 120, 160 and 200 °C, respectively, with optical band gaps of 3.76, 3.81 and 3.71 eV. The as-prepared silver sulfide nanoparticles potential as photocatalysts were evaluated using rhodamine 6G and trypan blue under irradiation. The photocatalytic degradation efficiency of 42.4% (k = 3.03 × 10−3), 41.9% (k = 2.73 × 10−3) and 56.7% (k = 4.16 × 10−3) for rhodamine 6G dye and 35.4% (2.94 × 10−3), 49.7% (3.87 × 10−3) and 16.9% (9.0 × 10−4) for trypan blue dye were obtained in the presence of AgS-120, AgS-160 and AgS-200, respectively. The kinetics and mechanism of photocatalytic reaction show that the dye degradation in the presence of the as-prepared nanoparticles follow pseudo-first order kinetics.

Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Dots Enhanced Hydrogen Carbonate-Hydrogen Peroxide Chemiluminescent Reaction and its Application in Ascorbic Acid Sensing.

Nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) were prepared by self-exothermic procedure using grasshopper powder as a single precursor. The prepared N-CDs not only have excellent fluorescence properties, but also can catalyze and enhance the ultra-weak chemiluminescence of NaHCO3-H2O2. The reaction conditions of NaHCO3-H2O2-N-CDs CL were optimized. Under the optimal experimental conditions, when AA was added to the NaHCO3-H2O2-N-CDs CL system, AA had a significant inhibitory effect on the CL intensity of NaHCO3-H2O2-N-CDs. There was a good linear relationship between the calculated lg(I0/I) and the concentration of AA (C), and the calibration curve equation was lg(I0/I) = 0.03667C-0.00708 (µM). The established CL analysis method has a detection limit of 0.12 µM for AA and a linear range of 0-50 µM. The selectivity of CL method was evaluated, and the method was successfully applied to the determination of AA in vegetable and fruit samples. The spiked recoveries were between 88.9% and 118.9%, which indicated that the method was simple, rapid, and sensitive, and had great potential in the determination of AA in foods.

Energizing tomorrow with the dithiocarbamate complexes: Unveiling BaS3:La2S3:PrS1.7 tri-metallic chalcogenide semiconductor decorated electrode for supercapacitors and electro-catalysis

This study investigates the energy efficient and novel BaS3:La2S3:PrS1.7 nanocomposite chalcogenide system synthesized using a single source precursor technique. The prepared metallic sulphide was marked by narrow band gap of 3.6 eV and 17.39 nm average crystallite size. Functional group analysis indicated the presence of various bonds inclusive of the metal sulphide bond. Morphologically, these nano-composite chalcogenide was expressive of the irregular shaped particles arranged in the form of agglomerates. The decomposition pattern of this chalcogenide took place in two steps shown by the thermal gravimetric analysis recorded in the range of 0–800 °C. The electrochemical charge-storing behavior was evaluated. According to cyclic voltammetric results in 1 M KOH, the fabricated electrode demonstrated favorable charge storage capabilities with a specific capacitance of 776.36 F g−1. This implies that the electrode has a large amount of potential for storing energy. Additionally, the impedance studies showed that this electrode had a specific power density of 7417.69 W kg−1 and a Rs = 1.03 Ω. The OER overpotential and Tafel slope values are 457 mV and 78 mV/dec, respectively, while electrode produced a Tafel slope of 200 mV/dec and a HER overpotential value of 233 mV.

Laser-Induced Synthesis of Tin Sulfides.

Various polytypes of van der Waals (vdW) materials can be formed by sulfur and tin, which exhibit distinctive and complementary electronic properties. Hence, these materials are attractive candidates for the design of multifunctional devices. This work demonstrates direct selective growth of tin sulfides by laser irradiation. A 532nm continuous wave laser is used to synthesize centimeter-scale tin sulfide tracks from single source precursor tin(II) o-ethylxanthate under ambient conditions. Modulation of laser irradiation conditions enables tuning of the dominant phase of tin sulfide as well as SnS2/SnS heterostructures formation. An in-depth investigation of the morphological, structural, and compositional characteristics of the laser-synthesized tin sulfide microstructures is reported. Furthermore, laser-synthesized tin sulfides photodetectors show broad spectral response with relatively high photoresponsivity up to 4 AW-1 and fast switching time (τ rise = 1.8ms and τ fall = 16ms). This approach is versatile and can be exploited in various fields such as energy conversion and storage, catalysis, chemical sensors, and optoelectronics.

Precursor engineering for soft selective synthesis of phase pure metal-rich digenite (Cu9S5) and djurleite (Cu31S16) nanocrystals and investigation of their photo-switching characteristics.

Copper sulfide nanostructures have evolved as one of the most technologically important materials for energy conversion and storage owing to their economic and non-toxic nature and superior performances. This paper presents a direct, scalable synthetic route aided by a single source molecular precursor (SSP) approach to access copper sulfide nanomaterials. Two SSPs, CuX(dmpymSH)(PPh3)2 (where X = Cl or I), were synthesized in quantitative yields and thermolyzed under appropriate conditions to afford the nanostructures. The analysis of the nanostructures through pXRD, EDS and XPS suggested that phase pure digenite (Cu9S5) and djurleite (Cu31S16) nanostructures were isolated from -Cl and -I substituted SSPs, respectively. The morphologies of the as-synthesized nanomaterials were investigated using electron microscopy techniques (SEM and TEM). DRS studies on pristine materials revealed blue shifted optical band gaps, which were found to be optimum for photoelectrochemical application. A prototype photoelectrochemical cell fabricated using the pristine nanostructures exhibited a stable photo-switching property, which presents these materials as suitable economic and environmentally friendly photon absorber materials.