A Template-Free Microwave Synthesis of One-Dimensional Cu(2)O Nanowires with Desired Photocatalytic Property

One-dimensional Cu(2)O nanowires were successfully prepared with a template-free microwave synthesis. Neither a surfactant was needed (to induce the growth), nor a long reaction time was required for this method. The structural investigation confirmed the successful preparation of Cu(2)O. The morphology images showed that the radial size of the Cu(2)O nanowires was 10 nm. The possible growth mechanism was hypothesized according to morphology evolution and references. A series of time-dependent experiments indicated that as time increased, Cu(2)O primary particles grew radially into nanowires under microwave energy irradiation. The condition-variable tests revealed that the suitable quantity of NaOH played a vital role in Cu(2)O nanowire formation. The photocatalytic property of the sample was investigated by degradation of methyl orange under the irradiation of visible light at room temperature. Benefiting from its unique large surface area, 4 mg of the prepared catalyst degraded 73% of methyl orange (10 mg L(−1)) in 120 min.