Aqueous Phase Synthesis of Cu_{2- x}S Nanostructures and Their Photothermal Generation Study

Size- and shape-dependent features of plasmonic nanocrystals govern the development of their applications. In the past decades, gold nanostructures, such as gold nanorods and nanoshells, have been well studied and applied for sensing, bioimaging, and photothermal generation. However, knowledge of copper chalcogenide, a new generation of plasmonic nanomaterials, is limited, especially about their preparation and size- and shape-dependent photothermal properties. In this work, controllable size and shape Cu_2-xS nanocrystals (NCs) are synthesized by a facile aqueous route. Using low-molecular-weight polyethylenimine (PEI) as the reducing and capping agents, the size and shape of Cu_2-xS NCs can be controlled with lengths from 6.5 to 46.5 nm and the aspect ratio from 2.2 to 7.5 by adjusting the concentration of PEI. The plasmonic peak of Cu_2-xS experiences a redshift (from 1145 to 1369 nm) when the length increases from 6.5 to 44.5 nm. Under the irradiation of 1064 nm laser with 1.33 W/cm², an excellent photothermal conversion rate (from 34.9 to 49.0%) is obtained. The characterization of Cu_2-xS NCs is conducted with a UV-vis spectrometer, transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction measurements, and 1064 nm laser. ©