Unconventional 0-, 1-, and 2-dimensional single-crystalline copper sulfide nanostructures

We report the synthesis of several unconventional 0-, 1- and 2-dimensional copper sulfide nanostrucutures by the chemical vapor deposition method. The key factor for morphology and structure control of a variety of copper sulfide products is the tuning of deposition and growth temperature to fit for the surface energy barriers and promote different growth directions. At a high growth temperature (480 °C) that provides enough thermal energy, a 0-D octahedral copper sulfide single crystal structure was synthesized. At a slightly lower growth temperature (460 °C), a new 1-D copper sulfide nanorod structure with a nanocrystal head was discovered for the first time. At a much lower growth temperature (150 °C), 2-D copper sulfide nanoflakes with a single crystal hexagonal structure were obtained. These novel structural varieties of copper sulfide can lead to discovering more unconventional material structures and growth mechanisms of other transitional metal chalcogenides, and may allow for new copper sulfide based devices and applications.