Crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal properties in plasmonic copper-based sulfides

Mengyao Su; Naiqing Li; Xinyuan Li; Yuemei Li; Xiuming Zhang; Haoqing Zhang; Baoyuan Xu; Chunhuan Zhang; Zhimin Wang; Jiatao Zhang

doi:10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102647

Crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal properties in plasmonic copper-based sulfides

Mengyao Su, Naiqing Li, Xinyuan Li, Yuemei Li, Xiuming Zhang, Haoqing Zhang, Baoyuan Xu, Chunhuan Zhang, Zhimin Wang^*, Jiatao Zhang^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

1 Citation (Scopus)

Abstract

Understanding the corelation between crystalline phases of semiconducting nanomaterials and their photophysical properties is of great significance for developing hihgly eficient photothermal agents. Herein we comparatively investigated the crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal effects in copper-based sulfides and their ultrafast carrier dynamics. The unique S-S double bond and semimetallic band gap of CuS enable a strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, showing intense near-infrared absorption and much higher photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) than those of copper-deficient Cu_1.81S and Cu₇S₄. The mechanism study demonstrates that the semimetallic CuS exhibited strong carrier-phonon coupling (4.255 × 10¹⁷ J·K⁻¹·s⁻¹·m⁻³) and rapid lattice heating within 190 femtoseconds during the non-radiative relaxation process, such efficient photothermal conversion has negligible energy losses such as the hot electron radiation. Our results evidence that CuS poseesses superior PCE among copper-based sulfide nanomaterials due to the unique crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal effects. This study helps to deepen our understanding of the crystal structure-carrier dynamics-photothermal function relationships in copper-based sulfides, providing new insight into the rational development of high PCE nanomaterials with imaproved performace for practical applications.

Original language	English
Article number	102647
Journal	Nano Today
Volume	61
DOIs	http://doi.org/10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102647
Publication status	Published - Apr 2025

Keywords

Carrier-phonon coupling
Copper-based sulfide nanocrystals
Crystalline phase
LSPR
Photothermal conversion

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10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102647

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@article{c9f0fe18459a4ccbb07e0fef5766998c,

title = "Crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal properties in plasmonic copper-based sulfides",

abstract = "Understanding the corelation between crystalline phases of semiconducting nanomaterials and their photophysical properties is of great significance for developing hihgly eficient photothermal agents. Herein we comparatively investigated the crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal effects in copper-based sulfides and their ultrafast carrier dynamics. The unique S-S double bond and semimetallic band gap of CuS enable a strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, showing intense near-infrared absorption and much higher photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) than those of copper-deficient Cu1.81S and Cu7S4. The mechanism study demonstrates that the semimetallic CuS exhibited strong carrier-phonon coupling (4.255 × 1017 J·K−1·s−1·m−3) and rapid lattice heating within 190 femtoseconds during the non-radiative relaxation process, such efficient photothermal conversion has negligible energy losses such as the hot electron radiation. Our results evidence that CuS poseesses superior PCE among copper-based sulfide nanomaterials due to the unique crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal effects. This study helps to deepen our understanding of the crystal structure-carrier dynamics-photothermal function relationships in copper-based sulfides, providing new insight into the rational development of high PCE nanomaterials with imaproved performace for practical applications.",

keywords = "Carrier-phonon coupling, Copper-based sulfide nanocrystals, Crystalline phase, LSPR, Photothermal conversion",

author = "Mengyao Su and Naiqing Li and Xinyuan Li and Yuemei Li and Xiuming Zhang and Haoqing Zhang and Baoyuan Xu and Chunhuan Zhang and Zhimin Wang and Jiatao Zhang",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2025 Elsevier Ltd",

year = "2025",

month = apr,

doi = "10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102647",

language = "English",

volume = "61",

journal = "Nano Today",

issn = "1748-0132",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal properties in plasmonic copper-based sulfides

AU - Su, Mengyao

AU - Li, Naiqing

AU - Li, Xinyuan

AU - Li, Yuemei

AU - Zhang, Xiuming

AU - Zhang, Haoqing

AU - Xu, Baoyuan

AU - Zhang, Chunhuan

AU - Wang, Zhimin

AU - Zhang, Jiatao

PY - 2025/4

Y1 - 2025/4

N2 - Understanding the corelation between crystalline phases of semiconducting nanomaterials and their photophysical properties is of great significance for developing hihgly eficient photothermal agents. Herein we comparatively investigated the crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal effects in copper-based sulfides and their ultrafast carrier dynamics. The unique S-S double bond and semimetallic band gap of CuS enable a strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, showing intense near-infrared absorption and much higher photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) than those of copper-deficient Cu1.81S and Cu7S4. The mechanism study demonstrates that the semimetallic CuS exhibited strong carrier-phonon coupling (4.255 × 1017 J·K−1·s−1·m−3) and rapid lattice heating within 190 femtoseconds during the non-radiative relaxation process, such efficient photothermal conversion has negligible energy losses such as the hot electron radiation. Our results evidence that CuS poseesses superior PCE among copper-based sulfide nanomaterials due to the unique crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal effects. This study helps to deepen our understanding of the crystal structure-carrier dynamics-photothermal function relationships in copper-based sulfides, providing new insight into the rational development of high PCE nanomaterials with imaproved performace for practical applications.

AB - Understanding the corelation between crystalline phases of semiconducting nanomaterials and their photophysical properties is of great significance for developing hihgly eficient photothermal agents. Herein we comparatively investigated the crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal effects in copper-based sulfides and their ultrafast carrier dynamics. The unique S-S double bond and semimetallic band gap of CuS enable a strong localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) effect, showing intense near-infrared absorption and much higher photothermal conversion efficiency (PCE) than those of copper-deficient Cu1.81S and Cu7S4. The mechanism study demonstrates that the semimetallic CuS exhibited strong carrier-phonon coupling (4.255 × 1017 J·K−1·s−1·m−3) and rapid lattice heating within 190 femtoseconds during the non-radiative relaxation process, such efficient photothermal conversion has negligible energy losses such as the hot electron radiation. Our results evidence that CuS poseesses superior PCE among copper-based sulfide nanomaterials due to the unique crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal effects. This study helps to deepen our understanding of the crystal structure-carrier dynamics-photothermal function relationships in copper-based sulfides, providing new insight into the rational development of high PCE nanomaterials with imaproved performace for practical applications.

KW - Carrier-phonon coupling

KW - Copper-based sulfide nanocrystals

KW - Crystalline phase

KW - LSPR

KW - Photothermal conversion

UR - http://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85215803315

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DO - 10.1016/j.nantod.2025.102647

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85215803315

SN - 1748-0132

VL - 61

JO - Nano Today

JF - Nano Today

M1 - 102647

ER -

Crystalline phases-mediated discriminative photothermal properties in plasmonic copper-based sulfides

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