Solution-phase synthesis of CuO hierarchical nanosheets at near-neutral pH and near-room temperature

CuO hierarchical nanosheets have been successfully prepared by a facile solution-phase method. The experimental conditions are very mild: near-neutral pH (7.5) and near-room temperature (30 degrees C). SEM and TEM images show that the as-synthesized CuO nanosheets are composed of numerous tiny nanoparticles. The growth mechanism is discussed by monitoring the whole growth stages via time-dependent SEM examinations. UV-vis spectrum is used to estimate the band gap energy of the hierarchical structures, and the result shows that the calculated band gap energy is similar to 1.94 eV. (c) 2006 Elsevier BX All rights reserved.