Novel CuS nanofibers using organogel as a template: Controlled by binding sites

A new cholesterol organogelator 1 was synthesized, which was confirmed as an effective gelator for various organic solvents and could self-assemble into network fibers in some organic solvents. Moreover, gelator 1 could act as templates for the synthesis of various CuS nanofibers with different helical pitches. For example, when H2S was used as the sulfur source, straight and bending helical CuS nanofibers with a pitch of 100-200 nm could be fabricated in butyl acetate and benzene-butanol gel systems, respectively, while bending CuS nanofibers with a similar helical pitch (ca. 50 nm) could be obtained when thioacetamide was used as the sulfur source in both gel systems. It was first found that the morphologies of inorganic nanofibers could be controlled by the binding sites between the inorganic precursor and the organogel.