Self-generation of three-dimensional hierarchical Cu₂S architectures at room temperature

A simple approach is proposed to realize the three dimensional (3D) hierarchical Cu₂S architectures at room temperature in this letter. The 3D Cu₂S architectures are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectrum (XPS). The effects of synthetic conditions, such as reaction time and the amount of reagents, on the morphology of the product are investigated. The growth mechanism of the product is proposed, based on the evolution of the morphologies with the increasing of reaction time. Our work provides a facile and easy method on designing for the fabrication of 3D hierarchical architecture materials.