Radiation-induced synthesis of copper sulfide nanotubes with improved catalytic and antibacterial activities.

In the current paper, copper sulfide nanotubes have been successfully synthesized via the green, simple, and effective gamma-radiolysis method without adding any capping or reducing agents. The structural and morphological characteristics of the as-prepared CuS nanotubes were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N adsorption-desorption measurements at 77 K, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and ultraviolet-visible (UV-vis) spectroscopy, which all demonstrated the formation of pure CuS covellite phase with tubular morphology. The synthesized CuS nanotubes possessed not only high activity towards the reduction of both cationic (methylene blue) and anionic (Congo red) dyes in the presence of NaBH but also exhibited excellent reusability.