A rapid and convenient polyol method has been proposed to synthesize foam-like CuInS2 nanocrystalline with extended, sponge-like, porous structure by refluxing CuCl2 . 2H(2)O, InCl3 . 4H(2)O and thiourea (Tu) in ethylene glycol at 195degreesC for 1 h. Studies found that the agitation state and the ratio Of CuCl2 to InCl3 have great influence on the purity of the final products. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.