Synthesis and characterization of different metal oxide nanostructures by simple electrolysis based oxidation of...

We report the Synthesis of different metal oxide (Cu2O, SnO2, Fe3O4 and PbO2) nanostructures by simple electrolysis based oxidation of metals (Cu, Sn, Fe and Pb). We have utilized the two electrode set up for the electrolysis and used different metal electrodes as anode and platinum as cathode. The synthesized nanomaterials were delaminated in the electrolyte. The microstructural characterization of synthesized materials in electrolytes after electrolysis at different electrode potentials revealed that the nanostructures strongly depend on the applied voltage between the electrodes. Various nanostructures (nanothreads, nanowires, nanocubes, nanotetrapods and hexagons-like) of metal oxides have been synthesized by this method. In case of copper electrode we have found nanothreads and nanowires of cuprous oxide. Tin electrode resulted nanothreads, nanotetrapod and nanocube like structures of tin oxide. Iron electrode resulted, nanowire like structures of iron oxide and lead sheet transformed into hexagon like and six petals like structures of lead oxide.