Synthesis And Characterization Of Cuprous Oxide Micro/Nanostructures

In recent years, considerable interests have been focused on the semiconductormicro/nano-materials because of their fascinating optical, electronic and magneticproperties. The properties of micro/nano-scaled materials were depended on their shapeand sizes to some degree. Therefore, researchers expected to adjust some properties ofmicro/nano-crystals by regulating and controlling their structure, size and morphology.Cuprous oxide （Cu₂O） is an important p-type semiconductor with a direct band gapof2.2eV, and has potential applications in solar energy conversion, gas sensors andcatalysis due to its unique optical and electronic properties. Therefore, thesemiconductor material Cu₂O was chosen as the object of investigation in this thesis.Uniform Cu₂O submicrocubes were synthesized in high yield by reducing thecopper citrate complex solution with glucose in low temperature aqueous solution. Aseries of shape evolutions of Cu₂O particles from the transient species such as multi-podand star-shaped particles to cubic crystals have been arrested based on TEM and SEMobservation. The formation of Cu₂O cubes resulted from six {100} faces remainedbecause of their lower growth rate. Growth mechanism of Cu₂O submirocubes wasanalyzed through the image of shape evolution.Uniform and monodisperse cubic Cu₂O nano-and submicrocubes were synthesizedthrough solution-phase method. Copper （II） salts in water are reduced with sodiumascorbate in the presence of CTAB. The CTAB concentration has an important effect onthe average edge length of the cubes. The formation mechanism of Cu₂O cubes wereanalyzed preliminarily.Effect of various anions on the morphology of Cu₂O crystals had been studied byvarying copper salts in simple aqueous solution. The influences of Cl-, SO42-, NO3-andAc-on the morphology of Cu₂O crystals were analyzed.