Abstract
Nanomaterial synthesis is a hot research subject that has been extensively studied in the last two decades. Recently, plasmas in liquid systems have been proposed as an efficient means of synthesizing various types of nanomaterials. The formation processes implicate many physical and chemical phenomena that take place at the electrode surface, as well as in the plasma volume, which renders it difficult to fully understand the underlying mechanisms. In this study, we assess the effect of electric field on nanomaterial synthesis in a system composed of two copper electrodes immersed in water, in the absence of an electrical discharge. The obtained results indicate that various nanostructures, including copper nanoparticles, copper oxide nanowires, and/or hollow nanoparticles, may be produced, depending on the electrical conductivity of the solution (adjusted by adding highly diluted HCl to deionized water). The materials synthesized herein are collected and characterized, and a formation mechanism is proposed. Overall, our results provide insight into the physical and chemical phenomena underlying nanomaterial synthesis in plasmas in liquid.
Highlights
Nowadays, nanotechnology is widely used in numerous applications, including energy storage and conversion, photonics, and biomedical applications [1,2]
We show that a pulsed electric field between two copper electrodes immersed in water leads to the synthesis of Cu-based nanomaterials
Nanowires and hollow nanoparticles of Cu2O are produced at high conductivity (32 and 64 μS/cm)
Summary
Nanotechnology is widely used in numerous applications, including energy storage and conversion, photonics, and biomedical applications [1,2]. The synthesis methods developed in the last century may be categorized as top-down or bottom-up methods. The former methods implicate the breaking down of macroscopic material to nanoscale level (miniaturization), and they include mechanical ball milling [5] and lithography [6]. The latter methods, such as molecular self-assembly [7] and atomic layer deposition [8], rely on building nanoscale materials from atoms and molecules. Reactive plasmas that are not in thermodynamic equilibrium show great potential for use in applications of nanomaterial synthesis [12,13,14]
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
