Fast Room Temperature Solution-phase Approach for Selective Synthesis of Nanostructured Cu(OH)2, Cu2O and CuO

Abstract

Outzourhit" et al.. Fast room temperature solution-phase approach for selective synthesis of nanostructured Cu(OH) 2, ABSTRACT A simple room-temperature solution-phase and efficient method for the selective preparation of nanostructured copper hydroxide (Cu(OH) 2), copper oxide (II) CuO or Cuprous oxide (Cu 2 O) from a Cu 2+ solution was developed. Mono-disperse cubic Cu 2 O were obtained by sodium hydroxide addition to this solution in the presence of ethylene glycol (EG) while monoclinic CuO nano-particles were obtained in the presence poly-ethylene glycol (PEG) as dispersant agent. By adjusting the amounts of EG, octahedron and truncated octahedron aggregates of copper oxide Original Research Article Bouzit et al.; IRJPAC, 8(3): 157-164, 2015; Article no.IRJPAC.2015.081 158 (I) nanoparticles (Cu 2 O) can be formed, whereas in case of PEG, Cu(OH) 2 nanowires, CuO sheet-shaped nanoparticles () can be obtained. These observations were confirmed by X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. It appears that the EG and PEG act as size-controlling and growth-directing agents in addition to their role as a dispersant.