A highly-efficient route to three-dimensional nanoporous copper leaves with high surface enhanced Raman scattering properties

- Three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous Cu leaves was prepared using single-step redox colloidal route.
- SERS performance of the Cu leaves was induced by the porous 3D structure and synergistic effect of organic ligands.
- Growth Mechanism for the 3D nanoporous Cu leaves was proposed.

Copper nanostructures have aroused extensive research interests due to their large number of applications in phonology, electronics, catalysis, etc. Here, we have developed a novel single-step redox colloidal route to construct three-dimensional (3D) nanoporous Cu leaves. By tuning the surface chemistry of copper nuclei, the morphology of as-prepared copper nanocrystals can be adjusted from nanoparticles to leaves. The 3D Cu leaves own anisotropic nanoporous structure and exhibit surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) performance with an enhancement factor of ∼106. The present facile and low-cost route to develop 3D nanoporous Cu leaves provides an efficient platform for achieving high-performance nanostructures for next generation photocathode applications.