Issue 8, 2012

Synthesis of CuO nanowalnuts and nanoribbons from aqueous solution and their catalytic and electrochemical properties

Abstract

One dimensional copper hydroxide nanostrands, two dimensional Cu2(OH)3NO3 nanoribbons and three dimensional CuO nanowalnuts were synthesized from the same diluted copper nitrate solution with ethanolamine at room temperature and 10 °C, respectively. The Cu2(OH)3NO3 nanoribbons were formed by slowly hydrolyzing ethanolamine at low temperature. The CuO nanowalnuts were formed through dehydration of copper hydroxide nanostrands in aqueous solution at room temperature. Although their average size is about 500 nm, the specific surface area of the CuO nanowalnuts can be as large as 61.24 m2 g−1, due to their particular morphology with assembling of 8 nm grains. The Cu2(OH)3NO3 nanoribbons were converted to CuO porous nanoribbons, keeping the shape. The catalytic performance of the CuO nanowalnuts for CO oxidation is 160 mL h−1 gcat−1 which is 23 times higher than those of the CuO porous nanoribbons and 40 nm commercial CuO nanoparticles, respectively. The electrochemical properties of the CuO nanowalnuts were also examined in a lithium-ion battery. After 30 cycles, the capacity of the as-prepared CuO nanowalnuts could sustain 67.1% (407 mA h g−1) of the second cycle (607 mA h g−1) at a rate of 0.1 C.

Graphical abstract: Synthesis of CuO nanowalnuts and nanoribbons from aqueous solution and their catalytic and electrochemical properties

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
16 Jan 2012
Accepted
02 Mar 2012
First published
16 Mar 2012

Nanoscale, 2012,4, 2613-2620

Synthesis of CuO nanowalnuts and nanoribbons from aqueous solution and their catalytic and electrochemical properties

Q. Yu, H. Huang, R. Chen, P. Wang, H. Yang, M. Gao, X. Peng and Z. Ye, Nanoscale, 2012, 4, 2613 DOI: 10.1039/C2NR30135K

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