Results and discussion
Copper bis(diethyldithiocarbamate) is decomposed in its dissolved
form with trioctylphosphine as the solvent; final formation
of the Cu2S material occurs on silicon substrates. The
dissolved precursor is placed onto a silicon substrate and heated
to approximately 240–250 C as determined by an IR thermometer.
The decomposition reaction is allowed to proceed until
all remaining organics have volatilized (about 10 min). The
resulting Cu2S nanostructures form in high yield, primarily as
hexagonal nanoprisms as shown in the scanning electron
microscope (SEM) image in Fig. 1B. Trioctylphosphine was
chosen as an ideal solvent for its solubility of the molecular
precursor, a boiling point that matches the decomposition
temperature, and low vapor pressure.