Microwave-assisted synthesis and electrochemical properties of urchin-like CuO micro-crystals

A facile microwave-assisted synthetic route has been successfully developed to prepare urchin-like CuO micro-crystals. The morphology and size of final products strongly depended on microwave power and reaction time. Furthermore, the concentration of Na2CO3 also influenced the morphology of final products. The phase, structures and morphologies of as-prepared products were investigated in detail by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The formation mechanism of CuO micro-crystals was discussed based on the experimental results. The electrochemical studies exhibited the correlations between the morphology of CuO micro-crystals and their catalytic properties. This effective microwave-assisted route may be a promising approach to prepare other transition metal oxides.

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► Urchin-like CuO can be prepared via a microwave-assisted synthetic route.
► The morphology and size of final products can be readily controlled.
► The catalytic current of urchin-like CuO is higher than the spherical structures.