Solution Phase Synthesis of Cu(OH)₂ Nanoribbons by Coordination Self-Assembly Using Cu₂S Nanowires as Precursors

Abstract

Nanoribbons of Cu(OH)2 have been synthesized by coordination self-assembly in solution. Techniques of XRD, TEM, HRTEM, SEM, ED, EDX, and XPS have been used to characterize the morphology, structure, and composition of the nanoribbons. The Cu(OH)2 nanoribbons are 20−100 nm in width, several nm in thickness, and up to 100 μm in length. The basic building blocks of the coordination self-assembly are the square planar complexes of Cu2+, which are continuously supplied in a controlled manner from the Cu2S nanowires. NH3 serves as a molecular transporter in the nanoribbon assembly process. The advantages of our method for the nanoribbon synthesis lie in the low temperature and mild reaction conditions, which permit large scale production at low cost.