The interesting biomimetic morphologenesis of CuS, containing urchin-like architecture and snowflake-like pattern can be separately obtained via heating different solutions. In our case, ethanol or the mixed solvent of ethanol/H2O containing CuCl2 and CS2 as raw materials in the presence of the surfactant additive cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) have been used. The products were characterized by various techniques of XRD, SEM and ED. In the process, the solvent medium and the surfactant additive CTAB played very important roles in the formation of different biomimetic morphologies and the formation mechanisms were primarily discussed, respectively. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.