Microwave-assisted template-free synthesis of butterfly-like CuO through Cu2Cl(OH)3 precursor and the electrochemical sensing property

An energy-efficient and environmentally friendly microwave-assisted method was adopted for synthesis of butterfly-like CuO assembled by nanosheets through a Cu2Cl(OH)(3) precursor, using no template. Formation mechanism of the butterfly-like CuO was explored and discussed systematically for the first time on the basis of both experimental results and crystal structure transformations in atomic level. The electrochemical sensing properties of the butterfly-like CuO modified electrode to ascorbic acid (AA) were studied for the first time. The results reveal that Cu(OH)(2) nanowires were formed once the Cu2+ ions, located in between two CuO4 parallelogram chains of a Cu2Cl(OH)(3) precursor, dissolve into the solution as Cu(OH)(4)(2-) complex ions after ion exchange reactions and simultaneous assemble along a axis. Upon microwave irradiation, the adjacent CuO4 parallelogram chains of the Cu(OH)(2) nanowires dehydrate and assemble along c axis, forming CuO nanosheets with (002) as the main exposed facet, which were further assembled to butterfly-like CuO under the action of microwave field, suggesting that microwave field functions like a 'directing agent'. The butterfly-like CuO modified electrode shows good electrochemical sensing properties to AA with a low detecting limit, short response time and wide linear response range. (C) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.