Surfactant-assisted hydrothermal synthesis and characterization of copper nano/microstructures and their application as catalysts in click chemistry

Abstract

A facile solution-phase process was developed for the selective preparation of single-crystalline copper (Cu) nanohexagons, nanospindles, and microflowers by the reduction of cuprous iodide with sodium ascorbate in the presence of surfactants such as cetyltrimethylammonium chloride and Pluronic F-127 or cetyltrimethylammonium bromide. The Cu nanoparticle samples obtained at different stages of growth were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD). The final products were characterized by XRD, scanning electron microscopy, and UV–vis spectroscopy. The UV–vis spectra of the as-synthesized Cu nanostructures exhibited morphology-dependant optical property. The Cu microflowers showed significant catalytic activity in click chemistry.