Large-scale copper sulfide polycrystalline nanorods have been solvothermally synthesized through a Cu(acac)(2) precursor decomposition and reaction route. X-ray diffraction (XRD) showed that the product was hexagonal phase CuS with lattice constants of a = 3.795 angstrom and c = 16.42 angstrom. Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) investigated the morphology of the product under the different growth conditions. PL spectra indicated that the rod-shaped product had emission peaks at 414 and 437.5 nm when the excitation wavelength was 371.5 nm, but the CuS dendrite did not demonstrate emission peaks at the same condition. A mechanism of Cu(acac)(2) micronrods decomposition and reaction with CS2 in situ was suggested based on the TEM observation. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.