Fast Room Temperature Solution-phase Approach for Selective Synthesis of Nanostructured Cu(OH)2, Cu2O and CuO
Soumaya Elamal Bouzit
Coordination Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Semlalia University Cadi Ayyad, B.P 2390, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco and Laboratory of Physics of Solids and Thin Films, Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia University Cadi Ayyad, B.P 2390, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco
Brahim Boualy
Laboratory of Chemistry and Mathematical Modeling, Department of Physic and Chemistry, Faculty of Polydisciplinaire, University Hassan 1er, B.P 145, 25000 Khouribga, Morocco
Larbi El Firdoussi
Coordination Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Semlalia University Cadi Ayyad, B.P 2390, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco
Ahmad Mehdi
Molecular Chemistry and Solid Organization, Institute Charles Gerhardt Montpellier, Montpellier University, Place E. Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
Abdelkader Outzourhit
Laboratory of Physics of Solids and Thin Films, Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia University Cadi Ayyad, B.P 2390, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco
Mustapha Ait Ali *
Coordination Chemistry and Catalysis Group, Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Semlalia University Cadi Ayyad, B.P 2390, 40000 Marrakech, Morocco
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
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 (Cu2O) from a Cu2+ solution was developed. Mono-disperse cubic Cu2O 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 (I) nanoparticles (Cu2O) 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.
Keywords: Nanostructured Cu2O, CuO, ethylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, solution-phase, room temperature