Electrochemical Behavior of Single CuO Nanoparticles: Implications for the Assessment of their Environmental Fate |
| |
| Authors: | Giorgia Zampardi Jorg Thöming Hendrik Naatz Hatem M A Amin Suman Pokhrel Lutz Mädler Richard G Compton |
| |
| Affiliation: | 1. Department of Chemistry, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK;2. Centre for Environmental Research and Sustainable Technology, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany;3. Faculty of Production Engineering, University of Bremen, Bremen, Germany;4. Leibniz Institute for Materials Engineering IWT, Bremen, Germany |
| |
| Abstract: | The electrochemical behavior of copper oxide nanoparticles is investigated at both the single particle and at the ensemble level in neutral aqueous solutions through the electrode‐particle collision method and cyclic voltammetry, respectively. The influence of Cl? and NO3? anions on the electrochemical processes occurring at the nanoparticles is further evaluated. The electroactivity of CuO nanoparticles is found to differ between the two types of experiments. At the single‐particle scale, the reduction of the CuO nanoparticles proceeds to a higher extent in the presence of chloride ion than of nitrate ion containing solutions. However, at the multiparticle scale the CuO reduction proceeds to the same extent regardless of the type of anions present in solution. The implications for assessing realistically the environmental fate and therefore the toxicity of metal‐based nanoparticles in general, and copper‐based nanoparticles in particular, are discussed. |
| |
| Keywords: | chloride ions cyclic voltammetry environmental fate nitrate ions single copper oxide nanoparticles electrochemistry |
|
|
