Metallic copper nanostructures synthesized by a facile hydrothermal method.

A facile hydrothermal route has been developed for the synthesis of nearly spherical copper nanoparticles, copper nanocubes and ribbon-like network nanostructures. The as-prepared copper nanostructures were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), high-resolution TEM (HRTEM), and UV-vis spectrum analysis. These copper products were fabricated in the presence of surfactant sodium dodecyl benzenesulfonate (SDBS) acting not only as stabilizer but also as size and shape controller via hydrothermal reduction process. HRTEM revealed that the surface of the copper nanostructures was packed with a thin layer of impurities such as oxide combined surfactant or amorphous surfactant. The influence of surfactant concentration and temperature on the resultant copper nanostructures was investigated in details. UV-vis spectra indicated that strong red shift existed for the copper ribbon-like network nanostructures due to the novel morphology as well as the presence of impurities on the surface.