Synthesis of Copper Sulfide Nanoparticles by Thermal Decomposition Approach and Morphology Dependent Peroxidase-Like Activity

Abstract

Copper sulfide nanoparticles have been employed as artificial mimics for peroxidase-like activity. In the present study, copper sulfide nanoparticles with four different morphologies have been synthesized by thermal decomposition of cyclo-tri-μ-thioacetamide-tris(chlorocopper(I)) complex ([Cu3TAA3Cl3]) at 200 °C in different solvents such as diphenyl ether, ethylene glycol, 1-octadecene and also without any solvent. Hierarchical copper sulfide nanostructures are formed when the complex is decomposed in the absence of solvent, in diphenyl ether, and 1-octadecene while in the case of ethylene glycol, randomly agglomerated nanoparticles are formed. The precursor complex ([Cu3TAA3Cl3]) as well as copper sulfide nanoparticles were characterized using an array of techniques and after characterization, the peroxidase-like activity of copper sulfide nanoparticles was investigated.Morphologically different copper sulfide nanoparticles possess different exposed facets and due to this, the peroxidase-like activity was different among different morphologies.