Surfactant-free Synthesis of CuO with Controllable Morphologies and Enhanced Photocatalytic Property

A green synthesis for nanoleave, nanosheet, spindle-like, rugby-like, dandelion-like and flower-like CuO nanostructures (from 2D to 3D) is successfully achieved through simply hydrothermal synthetic method without the assistance of surfactant. The morphology of CuO nanostructures can be easily tailored by adjusting the amount of ammonia and the source of copper. By designing a time varying experiment, it is verified that the flower- and dandelion-like CuO structures are synthesized by the self-assembly and Ostwald ripening mechanism. Structural and morphological evolutions are investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and UV-visible diffuse reflectance spectra. Additionally, the CuO nanostructures with different morphologies could serve as a potential photocatalyst on the photodecomposition of rhodamine B (RhB) aqueous solutions in the presence of H2O2 under visible light irradiation.