The Electrochemical Response of Single Crystalline Copper Nanowires to Atmospheric Air and Aqueous Solution |
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| Authors: | Bowei Zhang Bensong Chen Junsheng Wu Shiji Hao Guang Yang Xun Cao Lin Jing Minmin Zhu Siu Hon Tsang Edwin Hang Tong Teo Yizhong Huang |
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| Affiliation: | 1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore;2. Temasek Laboratories, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore;3. Institute of Advanced Materials and Technology, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, China;4. Interdisciplinary Graduate School, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore;5. School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore |
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| Abstract: | In this paper, single crystalline copper nanowires (CuNWs) have been electrochemically grown through anodic aluminum oxide template. The environmental stability of the as‐obtained CuNWs in both 40% relative humidity (RH) atmosphere and 0.1 m NaOH aqueous solution has been subsequently studied. In 40% RH atmosphere, a uniform compact Cu2O layer is formed as a function of exposure time following the logarithmic law and epitaxially covers the CuNW surfaces. It is also found that the oxide layers on CuNWs are sequentially grown when subjected to the cyclic voltammetry measurement in 0.1 m NaOH solution. An epitaxially homogeneous Cu2O layer is initially formed over the surface of the CuNW substrates by solid‐state reaction (SSR). Subsequently, the conversion of Cu2O into epitaxial CuO based on the SSR takes place with the increase of applied potential. This CuO layer is partially dissolved in the solution forming Cu(OH)2, which then redeposited on the CuNW surfaces (i.e., dissolution‐redeposition (DR) process) giving rise to a mixed polycrystalline CuO/Cu(OH)2 layer. The further increase of applied potential allows the complete oxidation of Cu2O into CuO to form a dual‐layer structure (i.e., CuO inner layer and Cu(OH)2 outer layer) with random orientations through an enhanced DR process. |
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| Keywords: | alkaline aqueous solution atmospheric air copper nanowires electrochemical response |
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