Controlled growth of Cu2O particles on a hexagonally nanopatterned aluminium substrate

Abstract

Without using any additives, cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles with a size of less than 20 nm that are hexagonally arrayed on a substrate are prepared by electrochemical methods based on the preferential nucleation of seeds on a nanostructured substrate. The nanosized Cu2O particles develop to become uniform microparticles of Cu2O. We found that the nanostructured substrate leads to the lowering of the overpotential for the nucleation of Cu2O particles and narrows the size distribution of the particles, compared to a polished substrate.