Room temperature photoluminescence properties of CuO nanowire arrays

• CuO nanowires were synthesized by a simple and low cost thermal oxidation method.
• The optical properties have been investigated through photoluminescence measurements.
• The nanowires reveal some detected emission band in the blue green spectral region.
• It usually appears only at low temperatures.

Cupric oxide (CuO) nanowire arrays were synthesized by a simple and cost-effective thermal oxidation method. Optical properties of CuO nanowires (NWs) have been investigated through photoluminescence (PL) measurements at room temperature. CuO NWs appear several defects and vacancies related emission bands which usually appear only at low temperatures. Blue–green light emission with peaks at around 403, 474 and 489 nm is obtained from CuO NWs. In addition, the PL studies of CuO at room temperature reveal three emission peaks at around 713, 735 and 758 nm in the red and near infrared region. The study is attributed to understand the optical properties of CuO NWs and the design of CuO-based photo-electronic devices.