Nanocrystalline CuO films prepared by pyrolysis of Cu-arachidate LB multilayers

Nanocrystalline CuO films have been formed by the pyrolysis of copper arachidate LB multilayers. FTIR and UV-vis spectroscopic investigations showed that the pyrolysis was initiated at similar to 100 degrees C and was complete at similar to 300 degrees C. XPS and electron diffraction studies confirm the films to be single-phase copper (II) oxide. Analysis of the bright-field images showed that the film consists of uniformly distributed particles of size 2.5 +/- 1.5 nm. The optical absorption edge of the CuO film did not show a measurable blue shift attributable to the nanocrystalline nature of the films. The absorption features are analysed in the background of the uncertainty prevailing in the nature and value of the absorption edge of CuO. (c) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.