Surfactant assisted chemical bath deposition based synthesis of 1-D nanostructured CuO thin films from alkaline baths

Nanostructured CuO thin films were prepared by a simple chemical bath deposition method in the absence and presence of different surfactants. The obtained structures were characterised on the basis of x-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy and UV-Vis spectral absorption. XRD and Raman studies pointed to the formation of a pure phase of monoclinic CuO. SEM studies revealed 1-D nanostructures of different orientations and aspect ratios. The presence of surfactants produced more uniform and oriented nanostructures. The samples were absorbing in the UV-Vis region demonstrating their potential application in photothermal systems. All the samples showed photocatalytic activity against methylene blue with different degradation efficiencies.