title: Matrix Sputtering into Liquid Mercaptan: From Blue-Emitting Copper Nanoclusters to Red-Emitting Copper Sulfide Nanoclusters.
abstract: A modified magnetron sputtering technique using pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate) (PEMP) as a stabilizing agent and liquid dispersion medium was developed to generate photoluminescent copper nanoclusters. The results reveal that, over time, the as-prepared blue-emitting copper nanoclusters were converted to red-emitting copper sulfide nanoclusters. The formation of copper oxide as an intermediate during the conversion of copper to copper sulfide nanoclusters was demonstrated. Furthermore, based on the mechanism of formation of copper sulfide, the kinetics of the conversion process could be controlled via ultraviolet (UV) irradiation of the as-synthesized dispersion. These findings shed light on the formation and conversion of nanoclusters obtained via sputtering into liquid, demonstrating that the method is highly versatile for producing metal nanoclusters and compounds with tailorable composition and optical properties.
authors: Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University , Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors: Matteo
authors: M
authors: Porta
authors: Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University , Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors: Mai Thanh
authors: MT
authors: Nguyen
authors: Department of Quantum Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Nagoya University , Furo-cho, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 464-8603, Japan.
authors: Tomoharu
authors: T
authors: Tokunaga
authors: Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University , Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors: Yohei
authors: Y
authors: Ishida
authors: Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University , Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.|Department of Chemical Engineering, Chung Yuan Christian University , No. 200, Chung Pei Rd., Zhongli District, Taoyuan City, 32023 Taiwan.
authors: Wei-Ren
authors: WR
authors: Liu
authors: Division of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Hokkaido University , Kita 13 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido 060-8628, Japan.
authors: Tetsu
authors: T
authors: Yonezawa