One-step Hydrothermal Synthesis And Properties Of Cu₂O And Ag/Cu₂O Film On Cu Foil

In this paper, we mainly studied the synthesis and application of the porous Cu2O filmand Ag/Cu2O heterogeneous nanostructured film. Varieties of analytical test methods wereused to characterize the morphology, composition and structure of prepared films. Themajor contents can be summarized as follows:1. A cuprous oxide (Cu2O) film with a novel porous structure is successfullysynthesized on Cu foil by using a simple hydrothermal method. Control experimentsdemonstrated that polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and CH3COO-have an important impact onthe formation of the porous structures. The porous structures are formed as a result of theOstwald ripening mechanism. In addition, photoelectrochemical properties confirmed thatthe porous Cu2O film is p-type conduction, which specific pore structure and increase in thesurface area benefits the charge carriers to transfer to the interface between Cu2O andelectrolyte solution, and thus reducing the rate of recombination of charge carriers.Comparing photoelectrochemical properties for porous Cu2O films with those for granularCu2O films, the porous structured Cu2O films has stronger light absorption properties, arapid photoresponse and pronounced photocurrent generation. Therefore, the porous filmcan be widely used in the optical and electronic fields.2. Ag/Cu2O heterogeneous nanostructured films (HNFs) were prepared by a one-stephydrothermal method. It involved only two materials, AgNO3and Cu foil, in the aqueoussolution to form Ag/Cu2O HNF. The synthetic method is simple, economical, andpollution-free. Besides, we put forward a reaction mechanism of growth Ag/Cu2O HNF onthe surface of Cu film. Redox reaction between Cu and Ag+, Cu and Cu2+in the aqueoussolution was occurred to separately form Ag nanoparticles and Cu2O nanocubes withopposite charges, and the Ag nanoparticles deposited on the Cu2O nanocubes viaelectrostatic attraction. Thus, Ag/Cu2O heterogeneous nanostructures are formed. Theas-synthesized Ag/Cu2O HNF was used as substrate to examine the SERS effect; resultsshow that the Ag/Cu2O HNF has been proven as an effective SERS substrate for thedetection of PATP and4-Mpy, so the obtained Ag/Cu2O HNF was found to be a goodcandidate for SERS application.