Growth and structural properties of CuO urchin-like and sheet-like structures prepared by simple solution process

Urchin-like and sheet-like CuO structures have been synthesized in a large-quantity via simple solution process. Urchin-like CuO structures were obtained by the copper powder, present in the strong alkali solution of copper nitrate, in which small CuO nanosheets were nucleated and grown on the outer surfaces of copper powder moieties. Sheet-like structures, some arranged in flower-shaped morphologies, were found in the same reaction from the reactant solution. The detailed structural investigations using XRD, TEM, and IR revealed that the as-grown products are nanocrystalline pure CuO and possessing a monoclinic structure. The as-grown products are exhibiting a higher surface area hence proving an opportunity to use themselves for the fabrication of efficient devices in near future.