Synthesis of CuO and Cu₂O crystalline nanowires using Cu(OH)₂ nanowire templates

Crystalline CuO and Cu₂O nanowires with an average diameter of about 10 nm and lengths of several tens of microns were successfully synthesized, depending on synthesis conditions, using precursor Cu(OH)₂ nanowires as templates. The crystallinity, purity, morphology, and structural features of the as-prepared nanowires were characterized by powder x-ray diffraction, selected-area electron diffraction, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that the precursor polycrystalline Cu(OH)₂ nanowires served as both reactants for the growth of CuO and Cu₂O nanowires, and as templates controlling the size and shape of the resulting nanowires.