Large-Scale Synthesis of Single-Crystal Double-Fold Snowflake Cu₂S Dendrites

In this paper, novel self-supported micropatterns of double-fold snowflake copper sulfide (Cu 2 S) dendrites were successfully synthesized by a template- and surfactant-free method based on a simple reaction of CuSO 4 ·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 CuSO 4 ·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.