| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1504025 | Solid State Sciences | 2015 | 6 Pages |
•Evolution of Cu2O morphology with respect to solvent is presented.•The competition between crystallization and etching was monitored.•Cu2O crystals were applied to photolysis of methyl orange.
Evolution of Cu2O morphology, from a cubic aggregate to a mono-dispersed cube, then to a {100} planes etched cube, with respect to solvent composition is presented in the microwave-assisted system. The solvent composition has a great impact on crystallization kinetics and oxidation etching. A series of contrast experiments were designed to reveal the critical parameters in the etching process according to the oxidation reaction equation of Cu2O. {100} planes etched Cu2O cubes exhibit preferable absorbability on methyl orange in the dark, whereas Cu2O polycrystals show better photo-catalytic activity because of the highly active apexes and edges exposed on the surface.
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