Morphology control of electrodeposited Cu2O crystals in aqueous solutions using room temperature hydrophilic ionic liquids

Room temperature hydrophilic ionic liquids, 1-methyl-3-ethylimidazolium salts containing ethyl-sulfate anions, have dramatic effects on the morphology changes of electrochemically grown Cu2O crystals at room temperature in aqueous solutions. The shape of Cu2O crystals evolves from cubic to octahedral and spherical shape only by adding a varied small amount of the ionic liquids in the deposited solutions. The possible mechanism has been explored, and the ethyl-sulfate anion is believed to play a key role in the morphology control.