Influences of surfactant (PVA) concentration and pH on the preparation of copper nanoparticles by electron beam irradiation

Electron beam irradiation method was successfully applied to the preparation of Cu nanoparticles in aqueous solution under room temperature and ambient pressure using polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) as the surfactant. The influences of the pH on the products were studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD), and those of the surfactant PVA concentration on the particle size and agglomeration by ultraviolet–visible spectrophotometry (UV–vis) and laser scattering particle size distribution analysis (LSPSDA). The products were characterized by XRD and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results showed that the grain size of Cu nanoparticles, within a certain range, can decrease with increasing PVA concentration. Pure Cu nanoparticles with the grain size distribution of 5–50 nm were prepared when the pH was adjusted between 5.0 and 9.0, and the PVA concentration was 2.20 g/100 mL.