Bench-top synthesis of solid-state copper(I) sulfides, KCu7-xS4 (x = 0.0, 0.12, 0.34), via nonaqueous electrochemistry

Whiskers of the pseudo-one-dimensional copper(I) sulfide series, KCu7-xS4 (x = 0−0.34), are grown by an electrochemical reaction via anodic dissolution of copper in a nonaqueous solution of K2Sn/CuCl. The copper sulfide chains, as shown by the partial structure of the Cu−S framework on the right, propagate along the crystal growth direction. The implication of current findings is that selective phase nucleation, with respect to low-dimensional conducting solids, may ultimately be possible in solid-state synthesis.