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Plasmonic Cu27S24 nanocages for novel solar photothermal nanoink and nanofilm

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Abstract

Copper sulfide (CuxS) as a plasmonic solar photothermal semiconductor material that expands the light collection range by altering localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) to the near- to mid- infrared (IR) spectral region. The versatile synthesis strategies of CuxS nanostructure offer its variability of morphology and provide additional freedom in tuning the optical property. Particularly, nanocage (or nanoshell) has hybridized plasmon resonances as a result of super-positioned nanosphere and nanocavity, which extends its receiving range of solar spectrum and increases light-to-heat conversion rate. Here, we offer novel “nanoink” and “nanofilm” developed from colloidal Cu27S24 nanocages with excellent solar photothermal response. Via combining experimental measurement and theoretical calculation, we estimated the optical properties of covellite Cu27S24. And based on obtained dielectric functions, we then calculated its solar photothermal performance, which was further validated by our experimental measurement. The simulation results showed that hollow Cu27S24 nanocages have excellent solar photothermal performance, and exhibit much higher solar photothermal conversion efficiency than solid Cu27S24 nanospheres.

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Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the finical support from the Key Laboratory Functional Molecular Solids, Ministry of Education (No. FMS202002), the National Key Research and Development Project (No. 2020YFA0210703), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. U2032158, U2032159, and 62005292), the Key Research and Development Program of Anhui Province (Nos. S202104a05020085 and 201904a05020009), the Science and Technology Service Network Initiative of Chinese Academy of China (grant No. KFJ-STS-ZDTP-080), the Collaborative Innovation Program of Hefei Science Center, CAS (No. 2020HSC-CIP003), the Major Scientific and the CASHIPS Director’s Fund (No. YZJJZX202015), and the Technological Innovation Projects of Shandong Province (No. 2019JZZY020243).

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Author notes

  1. Min Xi and Longchang Xu contributed equally to this work.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Solid State Physics and Key Laboratory of Photovoltaic and Energy Conservation Materials, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Hefei, 230031, China

    Min Xi, Longchang Xu, Nian Li, Shudong Zhang & Zhenyang Wang

  2. The Key Laboratory Functional Molecular Solids Ministry of Education, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China

    Min Xi

  3. School of Mechatronics and Vehicle Engineering, Chongqing Jiaotong University, Chongqing, 400074, China

    Longchang Xu

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  1. Min Xi
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Correspondence to Min Xi, Shudong Zhang or Zhenyang Wang.

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Xi, M., Xu, L., Li, N. et al. Plasmonic Cu27S24 nanocages for novel solar photothermal nanoink and nanofilm. Nano Res. 15, 3161–3169 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12274-021-3880-3

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