This article appeared in a journal published by Elsevier. The attached copy is furnished to the author for internal non-commercial research and education use, including for instruction at the authors institution and sharing with colleagues. Other uses, including reproduction and distribution, or selling or licensing copies, or posting to personal, institutional or third party websites are prohibited. In most cases authors are permitted to post their version of the article (e.g. in Word or Tex form) to their personal website or institutional repository. Authors requiring further information regarding Elsevier’s archiving and manuscript policies are encouraged to visit: http://www.elsevier.com/copyright Author's personal copy Nano Today (2010) 5, 106—116 available at www.sciencedirect.com journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/nanotoday REVIEW Morphologically controlled synthesis of Cu2O nanocrystals and their properties Chun-Hong Kuo, Michael H. Huang ∗ Department of Chemistry, National Tsing Hua University, Hsinchu 30013, Taiwan Received 21 December 2009; received in revised form 27 January 2010; accepted 8 February 2010 Available online 4 March 2010 KEYWORDS Cuprous oxide; Nanocrystals; Morphology control; Hollow; Core—shell heterostructures; Electrodeposition; Surface properties; Photodegradation Summary The ability to prepare inorganic nanocrystals with well-defined morphologies and sharp faces should facilitate the examination of their facet-dependent surface, catalytic, electrical, and other properties. In this review we cover different synthetic methods for the growth of Cu2 O nanocrystals with morphological control. Cu2 O nanocrystals with cubic, cuboctahedral, truncated octahedral, octahedral, and multipod structures have been prepared mainly by wet chemical, electrodeposition, and solvothermal synthesis methods. Methods used for the formation of hollow Cu2 O nanocubes, octahedra, and truncated rhombic dodecahedra are also presented. Morphology of Cu2 O nanocrystals can be expanded with the use of gold nanocrystal cores to guide the overgrowth of Cu2 O shells. Surface properties of Cu2 O nano- and microcrystals with sharp faces have been examined in a few studies. The {1 1 1} faces were found to interact well with negatively charged molecules, while the {1 0 0} faces are less sensitive to molecular charges. Preferential adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulfate molecules on the {1 1 1} faces of Cu2 O crystals has been demonstrated via plane-selective deposition of gold nanoparticles on only the {1 0 0} faces. It is expected that the development of improved synthetic methods for Cu2 O nanocrystals and more knowledge of their facet-dependent properties should lead to their applications in photoactivated energy conversion and catalysis. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Cuprous oxide (Cu2 O) is a p-type semiconductor with a direct band gap of 2.17 eV [1]. It has a unique cuprite structure (a body-centered cubic packing of oxygen atoms with copper atoms occupying one-half of the tetrahedral sites). In recent years, there is a growing interest to synthesize Cu2 O nanostructures not only for the development of synthetic strategies, but also for the examination of their sensing, ∗ Corresponding author. Tel.: +886 3 5718472; fax: +886 3 5711082. E-mail address: [email protected] (M.H. Huang). catalytic, electrical, and surface properties. Cu2 O nanostructures have been demonstrated to possess properties useful for applications in gas sensing [1,2], CO oxidation [3], photocatalysis [4—8], photochemical evolution of H2 from water [9], photocurrent generation [10,11], and organic synthesis [12,13]. The electrical properties of individual Cu2 O nanowires synthesized under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of poly(2,5-dimethoxyanaline) have also been examined [14]. A solar cell consisted of vertically oriented n-type ZnO nanowires, surrounded by a film constructed from p-type Cu2 O nanoparticles has recently been fabri- 1748-0132/$ — see front matter © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.nantod.2010.02.001 Author's personal copy Morphologically controlled synthesis of Cu2 O nanocrystals and their properties Table 1 107 Synthetic strategies for Cu2 O nanomaterials and the resulting product morphologies. Applied methods Crystalline solid Hollow structure Core—shell heterostructure Ref. Wet chemical reduction Sphere Cube Octahedron RD* Rod, Wire Multipod Sphere Box Octahedron RD* Tube Cube Octahedron Icosahedron Column Plate [1,4—7,11,16—35] Electrodeposition Sputtering Sphere Cube Octahedron RD* Rod, Wire Multipod Film Sphere Rod Multipod Wire Sphere High pressure treatment Sphere Irradiation Octahedron Cube Solvothermal synthesis * RD: [10,36—49] Cube Sphere [8,14,50—57] [58] [59] Cube [60,61] rhombic dodecahedron. cated [15]. Cu2 O nanocrystals are relatively easy to make, safe, and low in preparation cost because of abundant copper ion sources and low energy consumption. They also can form a wide variety of morphologies. These attributes make Cu2 O an important metal oxide for the investigation of their properties and applications in catalysis and optoelectronics. Various interesting cuprous oxide nanostructures such as cubes, cuboctahedra, octahedra, multipods, nanowires, and hollow structures have been synthesized. They are mostly prepared by wet chemical reduction [1,4—7,11,16—35], electrodeposition [10,36—49], and solvothermal synthesis methods [8,14,50—57]. In a few studies, Cu2 O nanostructures have been generated by the use of sputtering [58], high pressure treatment [59], and irradiation techniques [60,61]. Table 1 gives a summary of some of the synthetic strategies used for growing Cu2 O nanostructures and the resulting product morphologies. In this review, we focus our discussion on the synthesis of Cu2 O nanostructures with well-defined morphologies. Nano- and microcrystals with sharp facets provide surfaces for the examination of their facet-dependent properties with greater distinction and certainty. Their preparation should represent an important direction for nanomaterials research. We begin by introducing some methods for the synthesis of regular polyhedra such as cubes, cuboctahedra, truncated octahedra, octahedra, hexapods, and other complex multipod structures. These nanostructures possess well-defined facets and sharper edges, and are ideal for facet-dependent property studies. Hollow Cu2 O nanostructures are presented next. Cu2 O hollow structures are usually synthesized directly without the use of templates or through the dissolution of the pre-formed solid Cu2 O nanocrystals. For this reason, they can also possess well-defined morphologies such as cubic, octahedral, and other complex but symmetrical shapes. An interesting development in the synthesis of Cu2 O nanostructures is the use of metal nanoparticle cores to direct the growth of Cu2 O shells with morphological control. The metal—Cu2 O core—shell heterostructures may show enhanced catalytic and electrical properties. Their preparation will be briefly described. Lastly we will illustrate the importance of being able to prepare Cu2 O crystals with well- defined facets by showing how the different crystal faces can display remarkably different surface and photocatalytic properties. Remarks on some future research directions for Cu2 O nanocrystals will be given. Synthesis of Cu2 O nanocrystals with regular polyhedral structures A number of studies have described the synthesis of Cu2 O nanocubes. Murphy et al. have prepared Cu2 O nanocubes with edge lengths of approximately 450 nm by mixing a solution of CuSO4 , cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) surfactant, sodium ascorbate and NaOH at a reaction temperature of 55 ◦ C for 15 min [16]. Xia et al. heated a solution of ethylene glycol at 140 ◦ C, and added NaCl, Cu(NO3 )2 , and poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) to synthesize Cu2 O nanocubes with an average edge length of 410 nm [18]. Chloride ions were found to play a pivotal role in the formation of nanocubes; polycrystalline spheres were generated in the absence of chloride ions. Growth of monodisperse Cu2 O nanocubes over a wide size range has generally not been demonstrated. The Huang group used a seed-mediated synthesis approach in aqueous solution to grow monodisperse Cu2 O nanocubes with approximate average sizes of 40, 65, 100, 230, and 420 nm in high yield [6]. Cu2 O seed particle solution was added to a growth solution containing CuSO4 , sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant, sodium ascorbate, and NaOH to grow into larger nanocubes. These Cu2 O nanocubes were in turn used as the seeds to make even larger nanocubes by repeating the same growth process. Nanocubes with slight edge and corner truncations were exclusively formed after reaction for 2 h at room temperature. Fig. 1 gives a scheme of the experimental procedure and some representative SEM and TEM images of the Cu2 O nanocubes produced. Reports primarily on the synthesis of octahedral Cu2 O nanocrystals are also available. Wang et al. mixed aqueous solutions of CuCl2 , NH3 solution, and NaOH to form blue Cu(OH)2 precipitate, and added N2 H4 to make Cu2 O nanocrystals [7]. By keeping a molar ratio of NH3 to CuCl2 at Author's personal copy 108 C.-H. Kuo, M.H. Huang Figure 1 Schematic illustration of the procedure used to grow Cu2 O nanocubes of different sizes by a seed-mediated synthesis method. The procedure used to prepare samples C—F is the same as that for sample B. SEM images of the Cu2 O nanocube products observed for samples A—F are also shown. Nanocubes were formed in samples B—F. SA refers to sodium ascorbate (reproduced with permission from [6], copyright ©2007 WILEY-VCH). 7:1, and varying the molar ratio of NaOH to CuCl2 from 2:1 to 4:1 and 8:1, octahedral Cu2 O nanocrystals with respective sizes of around 140 to 400 and 600 nm can be synthesized. Small octahedral Cu2 O nanocrystals with sizes of 100 nm or less have been prepared by irradiating an aqueous solution of Cu(NO3 )2 in microemulsions of Triton X-100, n-hexanol, and cyclohexane with a 60 Co ␥-ray source [60]. This method is limited to the availability of the ␥-ray radiation. For the examination of facet-dependent properties, it is desirable to synthesize Cu2 O nanocrystals with systematic shape evolution from cubic to octahedral structures by a single method. Nanocrystals prepared under simi- Author's personal copy Morphologically controlled synthesis of Cu2 O nanocrystals and their properties 109 Figure 2 Schematic illustration of the procedure used to grow Cu2 O crystals with various shapes. The corresponding SEM images of the samples (a—h) are shown in Figure 3. Figure 3 SEM images of the Cu2 O nanocrystals with various morphologies: (a) cubes, (b) truncated cubes, (c) cuboctahedra, (d) type I truncated octahedra, (e) type II truncated octahedra, (f) octahedra, (g) short hexapods, and (h) extended hexapods. Scale bar = 1 m (reproduced with permission from [5], copyright ©2009 American Chemical Society). Author's personal copy 110 lar solution conditions are good for comparison studies. The Huang group has developed a facile aqueous colloidal solution approach for the synthesis of monodisperse Cu2 O truncated nanocubes, cuboctahedra, truncated octahedra, and octahedra at room temperature [4]. Water, CuCl2 solution, SDS surfactant, NH2 OH·HCl reductant, and NaOH were added in the sequence listed, and the mixture was aged for 2 h to obtain the products. The systematic variation in the product morphology can be controlled by changing the amount of reductant added. Examination of the intermediate Cu2 O products formed after aging the final solutions for just 5 min showed that nanocrystals with rough surfaces but overall cubic, cuboctahedral, and octahedral morphologies and sizes approaching the final nanocrystal dimensions have already appeared, indicating a rapid crystal growth has occurred. These intermediate structures seem to be formed through the aggregation of smaller crystals of 50—100 nm in diameter, which were in turn produced via aggregation of 10—20 nm Cu2 O seed particles. Ripening and surface reconstruction processes take place in the next 2 h to form the final nanocrystal structures with distinct shapes. It is presumed that the amount of NH2 OH·HCl introduced may influence the growth rate along the [1 0 0] direction relative to that of the [1 1 1] direction, or the value of R, and results in this morphology evolution. For example, when R is 1.15 and 1.73, truncated octahedral and perfect octahedral particles are produced [62]. The truncated cubic, cuboctahedral, truncated octahedral, and octahedral nanocrystals have sizes of approximately 300, 380, 220, and 160 nm, respectively. The particle size can increase to 400—600 nm by increasing the volume of NaOH added to the reaction mixture. However, the surfaces of these nanocrystals are not very sharp. They have smooth edges and not so perfectly flat faces. In another study, cubic to octahedral and then to hexapod structures with sharp faces can be systematically synthesized by changing the sequence of the introduction of the reagents listed above [5]. Fig. 2 provides a schematic illustration of the synthetic procedure used. Here NaOH was the second reagent added. The idea is to have Cu(OH)2 and Cu(OH)4 2− species present and wellmixed in the solution before the introduction of NH2 OH·HCl reductant, since the crystal growth rate is fast and the initial crystal morphology determines the final product structure. By simply varying the amount of NH2 OH·HCl added from 0.15 to 0.95 mL, cubic-, truncated cubic-, cuboctahedral-, truncated octahedral-, octahedral-, and short hexapod-shaped Cu2 O nanocrystals with sharp faces were synthesized. Fig. 3 shows the SEM images of the Cu2 O nanocrystals synthesized with various morphologies. These crystals have sizes in the range of 450—600 nm. The extended hexapods have longer branches and they have grown to about 1 m in size. Clear transition in the relative intensities of the (1 1 1) and the (2 0 0) reflection peaks in their XRD patterns was observed. Gao et al. have also synthesized Cu2 O crystals with shape evolution [21]. A mixture of CuSO4 aqueous solution, oleic acid, and ethanol was heated to 100 ◦ C. NaOH and D-(+)glucose, a reducing agent, were subsequently added with stirring for 60 min. By varying the amount of oleic acid added, cubic, octahedral, edge-truncated octahedral, and rhombic dodecahedral Cu2 O microcrystals were formed. The shape transition is particularly interesting because it shows that rhombic dodecahedral crystals with only {1 1 0} faces C.-H. Kuo, M.H. Huang Figure 4 SEM image of octahedral Cu2 O nanocages obtained at an aging time of 3 h (reproduced with permission from [33], copyright ©2005 WILEY-VCH). exposed can be obtained through the edge truncation of octahedra. An edge-truncated octahedron is bounded by both {1 1 1} and {1 1 0} surfaces. Electrodeposition is another important method used to make Cu2 O crystals with systematic crystal morphology control. Choi et al. have demonstrated that pre-grown cubic Cu2 O crystals formed by electrodeposition can be transformed into edge- and corner-truncated cubes and then octahedra after the second electrodeposition process in a Cu(NO3 )2 solution containing (NH4 )2 SO4 [36]. The temporary appearance of {1 1 0} faces was attributed to their relative stability of planes in this medium being in the order of {1 0 0} < {1 1 0} < {1 1 1} faces. Conversely, pre-grown octahedra can be transformed into edge- and corner-truncated octahedra and then cubes over time by carrying out a second electrodeposition process in a Cu(NO3 )2 solution containing SDS and NaCl. The relative stability of {1 0 0}, {1 1 1}, and {1 1 0} faces in this medium is in the order of {1 1 1} < {1 1 0} < {1 0 0}. In another study, they have shown that Cu2 O crystals with multiple symmetrical branches and facets can be grown by adjusting the applied potential or current density in electrocrystallization [37]. A wide variety of morphologies can be obtained by controlling the deposition conditions and varying the duration of the electrodeposition process. Branched crystals can eventually transform into cubes or octahedra by a filling-in process. The Cu2 O crystals grown by the electrochemical method are several micrometers in size. It is not clear if this approach is still effective in growing Cu2 O nanocrystals with a high level of morphology control. Complex but symmetrical Cu2 O multipods have also been prepared by the solvothermal synthesis approach. By varying the relative volumes of Cu(NO3 )2 solution, water—ethanol solvent mixture, and formic acid added to a Teflon-lined stainless steel autoclave and heating the autoclave in an electric oven at 150—220 ◦ C for 1.25—5 h, Zeng et al. obtained hexapods, octapods, and dodecapods with various branch morphologies [54]. The branches were respectively Author's personal copy Morphologically controlled synthesis of Cu2 O nanocrystals and their properties 111 Figure 5 SEM and TEM images of the truncated rhombic dodecahedral Cu2 O nanoparticles: (a—d) type-I nanoframes, (e—h) nanocages, and (i—l) type-II nanoframes. The magnified images clearly show the hollow structures of the nanoparticles. Two different viewing directions for each type of the hollow nanoparticles are also shown (reproduced with permission from [29], copyright ©2008 American Chemical Society). grown along the 1 0 0, 1 1 1, and 1 1 0 directions of a cube. In many structures, the branches have well-defined facets. These multipods, however, are also several micrometers in size. It remains challenging to prepare Cu2 O multipods with sizes of less than one micrometer. Synthesis of hollow Cu2 O nanostructures Hollow Cu2 O nanostructures have generally been formed without the use of hard templates. Some reports have described the formation of hollow Cu2 O spheres and multishelled spheres [31,55]. In this review, the formation of hollow Cu2 O nanostructures with more well-defined facets is discussed. Qi et al. synthesized octahedral Cu2 O nanocages via the catalytic reduction of a basic copper tartrate complex solution with glucose followed by an oxygenengaged catalytic oxidation process [33]. A stock solution of CuSO4 ·H2 O, potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate, and KOH was first prepared. PdCl2 and glucose solutions were successively introduced into the stock solution and water was added with stirring. The mixture was stirred and then aged at 75 ◦ C under static condition for 3 h. Fig. 4 gives an SEM image of the octahedral Cu2 O nanocages produced. The nanocages appear to be relatively flat and are bounded by {1 1 1} surfaces. TEM images of the particles also reveal their hollow interior. Interestingly, the nanocages usually have holes on the apexes. These holes were considered to be sites for oxidative etching. Although Pd nanoparticles generated from the reduction of PdCl2 by glucose was believed to play a role in the formation of Cu2 O nanocages, the presence of Pd nanoparticles was not confirmed. Notably, the octahedral nanocages are gradually etched into fragments at an aging time of 6 h. After 10 h of aging, the Cu2 O particles are completely dissolved. Hollow Cu2 O nanocubes have also been prepared by the solvothermal synthesis method. Jiao et al. made hollow Cu2 O nanocubes by first heating a mixture of CuCl2 ·2H2 O, NaOH, and poly(ethylene glycol) 200 (PEG-200) in a Teflonlined autoclave at 180 ◦ C for 6 h in an oven [50]. After cooling Author's personal copy 112 C.-H. Kuo, M.H. Huang Figure 6 SEM and TEM images of the Au-Cu2 O core—shell nanocrystals. (a, b) Cuboctahedral heterostructures made from octahedral Au nanoparticle cores. (c, d) Truncated stellated icosahedra formed from highly faceted Au nanoparticle cores. The slight structural variation observed may be related to the morphological variety of the gold nanoparticles used. (e, f) Cu2 O shells with pentagonal prism shape from 5-fold-twinned Au nanorods as templates. Barlike protrusions can be seen along the side faces of the pentagonal prism heterostructure. (g, h) Thick truncated triangular Cu2 O plates formed from triangular and truncated triangular Au plates as templates (reproduced with permission from [30], copyright ©2009 American Chemical Society). the autoclave to room temperature, the top solution was removed and water was added to this solution with stirring for 30 min. The precipitate collected was found to be hollow Cu2 O nanocubes with side lengths of 50—90 nm. The underlying solid in the autoclave, however, was a mixture of Cu2 O, CuO, and Cu, as determined from its XRD pattern. The nanocubes have truncated corners. Many of the nanocubes show partially removed or unformed faces. Zeng et al. have also prepared hollow Cu2 O nanocubes by mixing Cu(NO3 )·3H2 O, N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), and a small amount of water in a Teflon-lined stainless steel autoclave and heating the mixture at 200 ◦ C for 6.5 h [51]. The hollow nanocubes are about 200 nm in size. TEM images of the cubes reveal that there is a void space in the center of each cube. XRD and XPS analyses indicated the initial formation of CuO crystallites at a reaction time of 1.5 h. Both CuO and Cu2 O crystallites are present at a reaction time of 2.5 h. The CuO crystallites have mostly been reduced to Cu2 O nanocrystals after 3.5 h of reaction. The nanocubes were found to be formed through aggregation of small crystallites via an Ostwald ripening mechanism. Hollowing and recrystallization take place over the next 2 h of reaction. Metallic Cu component was identified after 7 h of reaction. Results of these studies show that the preparation of hollow Cu2 O nanostructures with well-defined shapes and pure crystal phase is still challenging. Fabrication of hollow Cu2 O nanostructures does not necessarily require heating. The Huang group has developed a facile procedure for the synthesis of truncated rhombic dodecahedral Cu2 O nanocages and nanoframes that involves the preparation of an aqueous solution containing CuCl2 , SDS, NH2 OH·HCl, HCl, and NaOH. The procedure used is similar to that employed for the synthesis of cuboctahedral Cu2 O nanocrystals, but with the addition of HCl [4]. Allowing the Cu2 O nanostructures to grow by aging the reaction mixture for ∼45 min and 2 h generated type-I nanoframes and nanocages, respectively. After the formation of the nanocages, addition of ethanol followed by sonication of the solution transformed the nanocages into type-II nanoframes. Fig. 5 displays SEM and TEM images of the Cu2 O nanoframes and nanocages synthesized. Each truncated rhombic dodecahedral particle contains twelve hexagonal {1 1 0} faces and Author's personal copy Morphologically controlled synthesis of Cu2 O nanocrystals and their properties six {1 0 0} faces. The type-I nanoframes are constructed of hexagonal {1 1 0} skeleton. They are 300—350 nm in diameter. The {1 0 0} faces are formed in the nanocages, so they have a truncated rhombic dodecahedral morphology. The nanocages have larger diameters (350—400 nm) and thicker walls than the type-I nanoframes. The added HCl promoted the etching process. When ethanol is added and sonication of the solution is applied, the adsorption of SDS molecules on the nanocage surfaces likely is temporarily disrupted. Removal of SDS facilitates the reaction of Cu2 O and HCl to form HCuCl2 . The faster etching rate on the {1 1 0} faces than on the {1 0 0} faces transforms the nanocages into type-II nanoframes with thinner walls and smaller particle sizes. Type-II nanoframes are 200—250 nm in diameter. The nanocages are not stable under the acidic solution condition, and become collapsed pieces after aging the solution for 6 h. Synthesis of metal—Cu2 O core—shell heterostructures Metal—Cu2 O core—shell heterostructures have been synthesized using gold nanoparticles as the cores. Novel Cu2 O nanostructures may be obtained using this synthetic strategy. Wang et al. have covered a copper grid with tetraoctylammonium bromide-stabilized gold nanoparticles of 3—7 nm in diameter and heated the copper grid in an oven at 300 ◦ C for 30 min to prepare Au-Cu2 O core—shell heterostructures [63]. The heterostructures exhibit cubic and octahedral shapes with edge dimensions of 15—45 nm. TEM characterization shows that the (1 1 1) lattice planes of gold are parallel to the (1 1 1) lattice planes of Cu2 O, and that the (2 0 0) lattice planes of gold are parallel to the (2 0 0) lattice planes of Cu2 O. The gold nanoparticles do not necessarily reside at the centers of the heterostructures. When sufficiently large gold nanocrystal cores with well-defined facets are used to make Au-Cu2 O core—shell heterostructures, the gold nanoparticle cores can guide the growth of Cu2 O shells with morphological and orientation control. The Huang group has recently synthesized unusual Au-Cu2 O core—shell heterostructures by use of Au nanoplates, nanorods, octahedra, and highly faceted nanoparticles as structure-directing cores for the overgrowth of Cu2 O crystals [30]. The heterostructures were synthesized by simply preparing a mixture of CuCl2 , SDS surfactant, Au nanocrystals, NaOH, and NH2 OH·HCl aqueous solution, added in the order listed, and aging the mixture for 2 h. Fig. 6 shows the SEM and TEM images of the Au-Cu2 O core—shell nanocrystals. Uniform shell growth has been achieved for the samples. Every composite nanocrystal contains just one Au nanoparticle inside. Octahedral gold nanocrystals with sizes of 80 to over 100 nm developed into cuboctahedral Au-Cu2 O heterostructures. The octahedral gold core has an orientation with its six corners aligned perpendicular to the six {1 0 0} faces of the cuboctahedral Cu2 O shell, strongly suggesting that the shell growth is precisely guided by the shape of the metal core. Unusual truncated stellated icosahedra were produced from the highly faceted gold nanocrystals. Each structure contains 20 protruded triangular {1 1 1} faces. When long gold nanorods with a pentatwinned structure were employed 113 as the metal cores, the thick Cu2 O shells also develop into a similar pentagonal prism shape with five side protrusions running along the length of the heterostructures. Finally, by use of micrometer- and submicrometer-sized triangular, truncated triangular, and hexagonal gold plates as the templating cores, conformal growth of Cu2 O shells was observed. Cross-sectional TEM images of the heterostructures reveal that the gold nanocrystals are located at the centers of the composite nanostructures. The orientation relationship between the core and the shell can be clearly identified for the cases with octahedral nanocrystals and pentatwinned nanorods as the structure-directing cores. The (1 1 1) planes of Cu2 O were found to grow epitaxially on the {1 1 1} facets of gold, while the (2 0 0) planes of Cu2 O can grow over the {2 0 0} facets of gold to form the interfaces. Thus, despite the significant lattice mismatches between the different gold surfaces and the lattice planes of Cu2 O, these metal—semiconductor core—shell structures can still be prepared. Systematic morphological evolution of the shell morphology can also be easily achieved by varying the amount of NH2 OH·HCl reductant added. This synthetic approach also allows the formation of Cu2 O stellated icosahedra and star columns formed by adjusting the volume of reductant introduced. TEM analysis shows that each triangular pyramid of the stellated icosahedron is bounded by three {1 0 0} side faces and a {1 1 1} top face. A star column was found to be bounded by {1 0 0}, {1 1 0}, and {1 1 1} faces. Examination of the intermediate products collected after 10 min of reaction surprisingly showed that the overall hollow shell framework structure was constructed first before completely filling the space between the outer shell and the core. Nevertheless, the shell was connected to the core via pre-formed Cu2 O bridges, through which the core can guide the growth of the shell with a proper orientation. This unusual hollow-shell-refilled (HSR) growth mechanism is different from the epitaxial overgrowth of shells on the surfaces of the core particles normally observed. This study illustrates the possibility of expanding the rich morphological variety of Cu2 O nanostructures by the use of metal nanocrystal cores. Facet-dependent properties of Cu2 O crystals The ability to make Cu2 O nano- and microcrystals with sharp faces allows the examination of their facet-dependent properties with greater confidence. Few studies have interrogated the facet-specific properties of Cu2 O nano- and microcrystals. This represents another interesting aspect of research for the exploration of applications of Cu2 O nanostructures. The Huang group has used the synthesized Cu2 O nanocrystals with well-defined structures and sharp faces to investigate their comparative photocatalytic activity [5]. They have previously demonstrated that octahedral Cu2 O crystals with entirely {1 1 1} faces are photocatalytically more active than truncated cubic crystals with mostly {1 0 0} facets [4,6]. A crystal model analysis shows that the (1 0 0) planes contain oxygen atoms as they do in the unit cell. However, a cut of the unit cell over one of its (1 1 1) planes reveals the presence of surface Cu atoms with dangling bonds [5]. This simple comparison indicate that the {1 1 1} faces are higher in surface energy and expected to Author's personal copy 114 C.-H. Kuo, M.H. Huang Figure 7 A plot of the extent of photodegradation of methyl orange vs. time for the various Cu2 O nanostructures is shown. Here type II truncated octahedra were used. The blank sample did not contain Cu2 O crystals but only the methyl orange solution. The temperature change of the solution over this time period is also given (reproduced with permission from [5], copyright ©2009 American Chemical Society). Figure 8 A plot of the extent of photodegradation of methylene blue vs. time for the Cu2 O cubes and octahedra is shown. The blank sample did not contain Cu2 O crystals but only the methylene blue solution. Lower cell temperatures were recorded because the room temperature was lower here (reproduced with permission from [5], copyright ©2009 American Chemical Society). be more catalytically active than the {1 0 0} faces. Furthermore, Cu2 O crystals bounded by the {1 1 1} faces contain positively charged copper atoms at the surfaces, whereas those bounded by the {1 0 0} faces such as the cubes are electrically neutral. This observation suggests that Cu2 O octahedra should interact more strongly with negatively charged molecules and photodegradation of these molecules is more effective. Use of a positively charged molecule can result in a poor photodecomposition performance. On the other hand, cubic Cu2 O crystals are less sensitive to the charge of the adsorbed molecules and are simply not photocatalytically active. To test the relative photocatalytic activities of the Cu2 O nanocrystals synthesized, methyl orange, a negatively charged molecule, was first used for the photodecomposition experiments. A cell containing the particle solution was constantly stirred and irradiated with light from a 200 W mercury lamp. UV—vis absorption spectra of the nanocrystal solutions were taken before and after every 60 min of irradiation. Fig. 7a is a plot of the extent of photodegradation of methyl orange vs. time for the various Cu2 O nanostructures used. As expected, octahedra with entirely {1 1 1} facets are much more photocatalytically active than cubes. The cubes were practically not effective at photodecomposing methyl orange. Another notable finding from this series of experiments is the exceptionally high photocatalytic performance of the extended hexapods. This result suggests that Cu2 O nanocrystals with more {1 1 1} facets can serve as more efficient photocatalysts. The presence of more sharp edges between the {1 1 1} facets in the hexapods may also enhance their catalytic activity. When methylene blue, a positively charged molecule, was used for the photodegradation experiments, both the cubes and octahedra did not cause any photodegradation, as the degree of degradation after 2 h of irradiation for these crystals was the same as that of the blank sample (see Fig. 8a). Amazingly, although the cubes can be dispersed in the methylene blue solution as usual, the octahedra cannot mix well with the solution. After the solution was stirred for minutes to over an hour without irradiation, the octahedra gradually moved to the surface of the solution or adhered to the inner top wall of the cell. Extended hexapods showed a similar effect with a significant amount of the particles moving to the surface of the solution in minutes. The electrostatic repulsion force is believed to cause this effect, a result consistent with the crystal model analysis. The cubes, as predicted, were insensitive to the molecular charge and can stay in the solution. However, they were not photocatalytically active. The results clearly demonstrate the dramatic difference in the catalytic activities of the {1 1 1} and {1 0 0} faces of Cu2 O crystals. Huang et al. have reported the instability of the {1 0 0} and {1 1 0} facets of large Cu2 O microcrystals during photocatalysis of methyl orange [64]. Flakelike structures were produced on the {1 0 0} and {1 1 0} surfaces of the microcrystals after 1 h of photoirradiation, while the {1 1 1} facets of the same microcrystals were more resistent to deformation. Preferential adsorption of additives on specific surfaces of Cu2 O crystals has been exploited through the planeselective deposition of gold nanoparticles. Choi et al. have grown cubic, octahedral, and truncated octahedral Cu2 O microcrystals on indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates electrochemically with and without the introduction of SDS surfactant to the plating solution [65]. They have previously reported that the preferential adsorption of SDS on {1 1 1} faces of Cu2 O crystals can be utilized to obtain octahedral crystal shapes [36,38]. Gold nanoparticles were placed on these Cu2 O crystals via electrodeposition by using Cu2 O crystals on ITO as the working electrode. A AuCl3 aqueous solution was used as a plating solution. Fig. 9 shows SEM images of the truncated octahedral Cu2 O crystals with plane-selective deposition of gold nanoparticles. Gold nanoparticles have exclusively been deposited on the {1 0 0} faces of the Cu2 O crystals. The result indicates that the preferential adsorption of SDS on the {1 1 1} faces can effectively inhibit the nucleation of gold on these planes. This study also suggests that the {1 1 1} faces of Cu2 O crystals Author's personal copy Morphologically controlled synthesis of Cu2 O nanocrystals and their properties 115 Figure 9 SEM images of truncated octahedral Cu2 O crystals showing the selective deposition of gold nanoparticles only on the {1 0 0} faces of the Cu2 O crystals. SDS molecules adsorb preferentially on the {1 1 1} faces of the Cu2 O crystals (reproduced with permission from [64], copyright ©2009 American Chemical Society). are charged surfaces. More research should be conducted to explore the dramatic facet-dependent surface properties of Cu2 O nanocrystals and utilize the surface property differences for novel demonstrations and applications. Conclusions and outlook Synthesis of Cu2 O nanocrystals with morphological control is important for their property examinations and applications. Cu2 O nanocrystals with cubic, cuboctahedra, truncated octahedral, octahedral, and multipod structures have been prepared mainly by wet chemical, electrodeposition, and solvothermal synthesis methods. These nanocrystals, especially ones with sharp faces, should provide distinct surface planes for the characterization of facet-dependent properties. Hollow Cu2 O nanostructures such as hollow nanocubes, octahedra, and truncated rhombic dodecahedra have also been formed directly by wet chemical and solvothermal synthesis approaches without the use of hard templates. To enrich the morphological variety of Cu2 O nanostructures, gold nanocrystal-directed growth of Au-Cu2 O core—shell heterostructures have been employed to produce unusual Cu2 O stellated icosahedra and star columns. Surface properties of Cu2 O nano- and microcrystals with sharp faces have been examined in a few studies. The {1 1 1} faces contain surface copper atoms with dangling bonds, and interact more strongly with negatively charged molecules. Octahedra and hexapods with {1 1 1} exposed facets are catalytically active at photodecomposing negatively charged molecules such as methyl orange, but are inactive towards to the photodegradation of positively charged molecules such as methylene blue. The cubes with only the {1 0 0} faces do not interact well with charged molecules and are not photocatalytically active. In another study, the preferential adsorption of SDS surfactant molecules on the {1 1 1} faces of truncated octahedral Cu2 O microcrystals lead to the plane-selective deposition of gold nanoparticles on only the {1 0 0} faces of the microcrystals in an electrochemical gold particle deposition process. This review on the morphologically controlled synthesis of Cu2 O nanocrystals shows that there are still significant challenges towards the growth of relatively small Cu2 O nanoparticles and multipods with well-defined facets. Efforts should be placed on the growth of regular polyhedra with uniform sizes of less than 100 nm. Cu2 O nanocrystals of different geometric shapes may be used as templates for the formation of other substances such as copper sulfide nanocrystals maintaining the original morphologies. The preparation of hollow and sharp-faced Cu2 O nanostructures with cubic, octahedral, and other geometric shapes is also challenging. Chemical etching and fine control of experimental conditions may be exploited to improve the preparation of hollow Cu2 O nanostructures. Electrical properties of individual Cu2 O nanocrystals with different exposed surfaces is also interesting to study. Structurally welldefined Cu2 O nanocrystals may also be considered for the fabrication of solar cells and the photoactivated generation of hydrogen from water. Coupling of Cu2 O nanocrystals to metal and semiconductor systems through epitaxial growth and face-selective deposition may bring about enhanced properties and allow possible applications. Finally, the use of Cu2 O nanocrystals with distinct surface facets should be explored for their roles in catalyzing organic reactions. These are some interesting research directions for Cu2 O nanocrystals with morphological control. Acknowledgement We thank the National Science Council of Taiwan (NSC 98-2113-M-007-005-MY3 and NSC 98-2811-M-007-066) for support of this work. References [1] C.H.B. Ng, W.Y. Fan, J. Phys. Chem. B 110 (2006) 20801. [2] H. Zhang, Q. Zhu, Y. Zhang, Y. Wang, L. Zhao, B. Yu, Adv. Funct. Mater. 17 (2007) 2766. [3] B. White, M. Yin, A. Hall, D. Le, S. Stolbov, T. Rahman, et al., Nano Lett. 6 (2006) 2095. [4] C.-H. Kuo, M.H. Huang, J. Phys. Chem. C 112 (2008) 18355. [5] J.-Y. Ho, M.H. Huang, J. Phys. Chem. C 113 (2009) 14159. [6] C.-H. Kuo, C.-H. Chen, M.H. Huang, Adv. Funct. Mater. 17 (2007) 3773. [7] H. Xu, W. Wang, W. Zhu, J. Phys. Chem. B 110 (2006) 13829. [8] H. Yu, J. Yu, S. Liu, S. Mann, Chem. Mater. 19 (2007) 4327. Author's personal copy 116 [9] M. Hara, T. Kondo, M. Komoda, S. Ikeda, K. Shinohara, A. Tanaka, et al., Chem. Commun. (1998) 357. [10] C.M. McShane, K.-S. Choi, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131 (2009) 2561. [11] Z. Yang, C.-K. Chiang, H.-T. Chang, Nanotechnology (2008) 025604. [12] B.-X. Tang, F. Wang, J.-H. Li, Y.-X. Xie, M.-B. Zhang, J. Org. Chem. 72 (2007) 6294. [13] R.A. Altman, E.D. Koval, S.L. Buchwald, J. Org. Chem. 72 (2007) 6190. [14] Y. Tan, X. Xue, Q. Peng, H. Zhao, T. Wang, Y. Li, Nano Lett. 7 (2007) 3723. [15] B.D. Yuhas, P. Yang, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131 (2009) 3756. [16] L. Guo, C.J. Murphy, Nano Lett. 3 (2003) 231. [17] L. Guo, C.J. Murphy, J. Mater. Chem. 14 (2004) 735. [18] M.H. Kim, B. Lim, E.P. Lee, Y. Xia, J. Mater. Chem. 18 (2008) 4069. [19] F. Luo, D. Wu, L. Gao, S. Lian, E. Wang, Z. Kang, et al., J. Cryst. Growth 285 (2005) 534. [20] H. Zhang, X. Ren, Z. Cui, J. Cryst. Growth 304 (2007) 206. [21] X. Liang, L. Gao, S. Yang, J. Sun, Adv. Mater. 21 (2009) 2068. [22] Y. Dong, Y. Li, C. Wang, A. Cui, Z. Deng, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 243 (2001) 85. [23] W. Wang, G. Wang, X. Wang, Y. Zhan, Y. Liu, C. Zheng, Adv. Mater. 14 (2002) 67. [24] W.T. Wu, L. Shi, Q. Zhu, Y. Wang, G. Xu, W. Pang, et al., Chem. Lett. 35 (2006) 574. [25] Y. Xiong, Z. Li, R. Zhang, Y. Xie, J. Yang, C. Wu, J. Phys. Chem. B 107 (2003) 3697. [26] D. Wang, M. Mo, D. Yu, L. Xu, F. Li, Y. Qian, Cryst. Growth Des. 3 (2003) 717. [27] D. Wang, D. Yu, M. Mo, X. Liu, Y. Qian, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 261 (2003) 565. [28] L. Huang, F. Peng, H. Yu, H. Wang, Solid State Sci. 11 (2009) 129. [29] C.-H. Kuo, M.H. Huang, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130 (2008) 12815. [30] C.-H. Kuo, T.-E. Hua, M.H. Huang, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131 (2009) 17871. [31] H. Xu, W. Wang, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 46 (2007) 1489. [32] M. Cao, C. Hu, Y. Wang, Y. Guo, C. Guo, E. Wang, Chem. Commun. (2003) 1884. [33] C. Lu, L. Qi, J. Yang, X. Wang, D. Zhang, J. Xie, et al., Adv. Mater. 17 (2005) 2562. [34] Z. Wang, X. Chen, J. Liu, M. Mo, L. Yang, Y. Qian, Solid State Commun. 130 (2004) 585. [35] L. Xu, X. Chen, Y. Wu, C. Chen, W. Li, W. Pan, et al., Nanotechnology 17 (2006) 1501. [36] M.J. Siegfried, K.-S. Choi, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 128 (2006) 10356. [37] M.J. Siegfried, K.-S. Choi, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 44 (2005) 3218. [38] M.J. Siegfried, K.-S. Choi, Adv. Mater. 16 (2004) 1743. [39] H. Yang, J. Quyang, A. Tang, Y. Xiao, X. Li, X. Dong, et al., Mater. Res. Bull. 41 (2006) 1310. [40] J.-Y. Chen, P.-J. Zhou, J.-L. Li, S.-Q. Li, Carbohyd. Polym. 67 (2007) 623. [41] F. Sun, Y. Guo, W. Song, J. Zhao, L. Tang, Z. Wang, J. Cryst. Growth 304 (2007) 425. [42] S. Bijani, M. Gabás, L. Maryinez, J.R. Ramos-Barrado, J. Morales, L. Sánchez, Thin Solid Films 515 (2007) 5505. [43] S. Somasundaram, C.R.N. Chenthamarakshan, N.R. de Tacconi, K. Rajeshwar, Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 32 (2007) 4661. [44] E.W. Bohannan, M.G. Shumsky, J.A. Switzer, Chem. Mater. 11 (1999) 2289. [45] D.P. Singh, N.R. Neti, A.S.K. Sinha, O.N. Srivastava, J. Phys. Chem. C 111 (2007) 1638. [46] S. Sahoo, S. Husale, B. Colwill, T.-M. Lu, S. Nayak, P.M. Ajayan, ACS Nano 3 (2009) 3935. C.-H. Kuo, M.H. Huang [47] Y.-Y. Ma, Z.-Y. Jiang, Q. Kuang, S.-H. Zhang, Z.-X. Xie, R.-B. Huang, et al., J. Phys. Chem. C 112 (2008) 13405. [48] H. Li, R. Liu, R. Zhao, Y. Zheng, W. Chen, Z. Xu, Cryst. Growth Des. 6 (2006) 2795. [49] A. Tang, Y. Xiao, J. Quyang, S. Nie, J. Alloys Compd. 457 (2008) 447. [50] Y. Xu, X. Jiao, D. Chen, J. Phys. Chem. C 112 (2008) 16769. [51] J.J. Teo, Y. Chang, H.C. Zeng, Langmuir 22 (2006) 7369. [52] Y. Chang, J.J. Teo, H.C. Zeng, Langmuir 21 (2005) 1074. [53] M. Wei, N. Lun, X. Ma, S. Wen, Mater. Lett. 61 (2007) 2147. [54] Y. Chang, H.C. Zeng, Cryst. Growth Des. 4 (2004) 273. [55] Y. Xu, D. Chen, X. Jiao, K. Xue, J. Phys. Chem. C 111 (2007) 16284. [56] H. Zhang, X. Zhang, H. Li, Z. Qu, S. Fan, M. Ji, Cryst. Growth Des. 7 (2007) 820. [57] H.G. Zhang, Q. Zhu, Y. Wang, C.Y. Zhang, L. Tao, Mater. Lett. 61 (2007) 4508. [58] P. Taneja, R. Chandra, R. Banerjee, P. Ayyub, Scr. Mater. 44 (2001) 1915. [59] E.G. Ponyatovskiı̆, G.E. Abrosimova, A.S. Aronin, V.I. Kulakov, I.V. Kuleshov, V.V. Sinitsyn, Phys. Solid State 44 (2002) 852. [60] P. He, X. Shen, H. Gao, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 284 (2005) 510. [61] Q. Chen, X. Shen, H. Gao, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 312 (2007) 272. [62] Z.L. Wang, J. Phys. Chem. B 104 (2000) 1153. [63] Y.Q. Wang, K. Nikitin, D.W. McComb, Chem. Phys. Lett. 456 (2008) 202. [64] Z. Zheng, B. Huang, Z. Wang, M. Guo, X. Qin, X. Zhang, et al., J. Phys. Chem. C 113 (2009) 14448. [65] C.G. Read, E.M.P. Steinmiller, K.-S. Choi, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 131 (2009) 12040. Chun-Hong Kuo received his BS (2002) in chemistry from National Cheng Kung University and his PhD (2009) in chemistry from National Tsing Hua University. During his PhD course under the direction of professor Michael H. Huang, he had conducted research on the synthesis and characterization of cuprous oxide nanocrystals with systematic shape evolution. He is currently a postdoctoral researcher working with professor Michael H. Huang at National Tsing Hua University. Michael H. Huang received his BS (1994) in chemistry from Queens College, City University of New York. He obtained his PhD in chemistry from University of California at Los Angeles (1999, with Prof. Jeffrey I. Zink). He did his postdoctoral research at University of California, Berkeley (1999—2001, with Prof. Peidong Yang) and University of California, Los Angeles (2001—2002, with Prof. Jeffrey I. Zink). He joined the Department of Chemistry at National Tsing Hua University in August 2002 as an assistant professor, and was promoted to the rank of associate professor in 2006. His research has been focused on the synthesis and characterization of metal and semiconductor nanocrystals with size and shape control. He has published more than 30 papers in prominent international journals since joining NTHU. He has received the Young Chemist Award from the Chemical Society located in Taipei in 2008 and the Outstanding Young Scholar Award from the Tsing Hua Chemistry Foundation in 2009.
© Copyright 2024 Paperzz