Growth of CuO nanoparticles using one step chemical bath deposition under microwave heating and their characterizations

Abstract

Abstract Varied morphologies of crystalline copper oxide nanoparticles were synthesized using one step chemical bath deposition under microwave heating of prepared growth solution at 1200 W microwave power for a very short duration of 2–8 min. The structure and crystallinity of the as grown copper oxide nanoparticles were studied by wide angle X-ray diffractometer analysis. The particle size values obtained from Scherrer’s relation and the Williamson–Hall plot methods are in the 16–18 nm range. The approximate size of as grown copper oxide nanoparticles evaluated from field emission scanning electron microscopic images are in the range of approximately 15–20 nm. The presence of copper and oxygen was verified by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis. Their weight % and atomic % exhibits the rich amount of development of copper oxide nanoparticles in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio. The optical properties of as grown copper oxide nanoparticles were examined by assessing absorption spectra of the sample in ultraviolet–visible range. The significant peak of absorption spectra is seen near 340 nm wavelength which explains the mono-dispersion behaviour of nanoparticles. Evaluation of Urbach energy of copper oxide nanoparticles reveals that the nanomaterial has microstructural lattice disorder. These characterizations of as synthesized copper oxide nanoparticles explain the feasibility and potential of such nanomaterial to be incorporated in a wide range of utilities.