Large-scale synthesis of single-crystal double-fold snowflake Cu2S dendrites

In this paper, novel self-supported micropatterns of double-fold snowflake copper sulfide (Cu2S) dendrites were successfully synthesized by a template- and surfactant-free method based on a simple reaction of CuSO4 center dot 5H(2)O and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), in which DMSO performed multiple roles as a solvent, a sulfur source, and a reducing agent. The influences of the concentration of CuSO4 center dot 5H(2)O, the reaction time, and the temperature on the morphology of the products are discussed. Possible crystal growth processes are also proposed on the basis of the experimental results.