Aqueous synthesis of copper nanocubes and bimetallic copper/palladium core-shell nanostructures.

We have synthesized copper nanocubes with uniform shape and size and copper/palladium core-shell bimetallic nanostructures in high yield by a two-stage procedure in the presence of dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid sodium. The copper nanocubes with a slight hole in the centers of the six {100} surfaces was prepared at the first stage. Later, the bimetallic copper/palladium core-shell nanostructures formed on the basis of the successive reduction of H2PdCl4 and the Pd growth on the surfaces of the Cu seeds.