Copper Oxide Nanoparticles : Synthesis and Characterization

Abstract

We report the synthesis of copper oxide (CuO) nanoparticles from Cu(NO3)2 through wet chemical precipitation method. Characterization was done by X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), particle size analyzer and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (FTIR). Two most prominent peaks in XRD profile, around 2? = 35.9° and 39.2°, which are combinations of double-reflections {(002) and (-111)} and {(111) and (200)}, respectively, are characteristics of monoclinic CuO. Unit cell parameters determined through Reitveld analysis of XRD data under FullProf Software Suite were: a = 4.6927, b = 3.4283 and c = 5.137 Å, with ? = ? = 90° and ? = 99.546° for monoclinic Cc space group. Moreover, crystallite size estimation from XRD data using Debye-Scherrer formula produced average size of 34 nm for the nanoparticles. However, the particle size analyzer measured the average grain-size as 86 nm. Therefore, it was concluded that each grain of the nano-sized CuO seemed to be made up of roughly 16 crystallites. SEM pictures showed uniform distribution of ice-glass like crystalline particles, which are agglomeration of smaller particles. FTIR results showed expected peaks corresponding to Cu-O stretching. As a potential application as carbon paste electrode (CPE) modifier, the electrocatalytic efficiencies of CuO nanoparticles are being investigated.