Self-Assembled Synthesis and Characterization of Dandelion-Like and Flower-Like Cupric Oxide Nanostructures

Dandelion-like and flower-like cupric oxide (CuO) nanostructures were prepared at low temperature using self-assembled synthesis through hydrothermal and solvothermal reactions. The only difference of these two methods is that water or ethanol was applied in the respective reaction as reaction solvent. To our best knowledge it is the first time these complex CuO nanostructures could be synthesized using an almost identical synthetic route with simply changing the reaction solvent. Compared with the other synthesis methods that have been reported in the literatures, this self-assembled synthesis provided easier route to form diverse complex CuO nanostructures. The obtained CuO nanostructures were characterized with scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectra, X-ray Diffraction, and Raman spectra. Possible formation mechanisms of these CuO nanoscale structures are also discussed.