Crystallographic phase biographs of copper nanocrystalline material: A statistical perspective review

Abstract

High crystalline copper nanoparticles (Cu NPs) contributed their unique characteristics and decided to be used in many functional approaches. Various physical, chemical and biological methods for synthesising Cu NPs are discussed, highlighting the impact of synthesis parameters on particle size, morphology, and crystal structure. The synthesised nanoparticles were investigated using UV–visible spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction (XRD), Dynamic Light Scattering, Zeta potential, Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis, Transmission Electron Microscope (TEM) and Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy techniques. XRD has identified that Cu NPs have a face-centred cubic (FCC) structure predominant at the (111), (200) and (220) miller indices and the FCC structure of Cu NPs has a packing efficiency of 74.0 %. The lattice strain and parameter of Cu NPs are reported as 1.39 % and 3.615 Å, respectively. TEM revealed that the (111) most densely packed plane exhibits a lattice spacing of approximately 0.20 nm. UV–visible spectroscopy revealed a characteristic absorption peak of Cu NPs between 550.0 and 650.0 nm. The study also explores the diverse applications of crystalline Cu NPs in catalysis, electronics, biomedical, agriculture, food, cosmetics and environmental remediation while addressing their synthesis, characterisation, and utilisation challenges. Overall, this review aims to serve as a comprehensive reference for researchers and engineers working with copper nanocrystals, providing a solid statistical foundation for future investigations and applications in materials science.