Synthesis of Metallic Copper Nanoflowers, Nanocrystals and Nanorods using Electrodeposition and Hydrothermal Techniques

Abstract

Copper nanoflowers and nanocrystals have been fabricated using two different techniques; electro-deposition of copper in polymer and anodic alumina templates (AAT) and Cetyltrimethyl-ammonium Bromide (CTAB)-assisted hydrothermal method. Nanorods of copper are produced by electrodeposition in 100 nm AAT. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) micrographs record some interesting morphologies of metallic copper nanoflowers and nanocrystals. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FESEM) has been used to determine morphology and chemical composition of polycrystalline copper oxide nanocrystals and nanorods. X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern reveals the polycrystalline nature of copper nanocrystals and monoclinic phase of CuO in the crystallographic structure of copper oxide nanoflowers. The synthesis of nanoflowers and other exotic patterns is due to over-deposition in nanopores of templates which is explained by Erdey-Gruz and Volmer relationship between the over-potentials and the nucleation rates. There is no repeatability in the experiments for synthesis of micro/nano crystals and flowers, which proves that they belong to the realms of both art and science.

Keywords: Electrodeposition, hydrothermal method, anodic alumina template, nanopores, nanoflowers, nanocrystals, nanorods, polycrystalline, nucleation rate