A uniform, monodispersed superfine cuprous oxide (Cu2O) sphere with a mean diameter of 850 nm has been synthesized by solution reduction. The study reported the synthesis and thermal properties of Cu2O/PP composites for the first time. The surface modification of the superfine Cu2O sphere was carried out by using a silane coupling agent KH-570. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and the thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) curve revealed that the Cu2O had been successfully modified by silane coupling agent KH570. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) shows that the modified Cu2O can be uniformly dispersed in the polypropylene (PP) matrix, because through surface modification, there are some active functional groups on its surface, such as the ester group, which improves its compatibility with the PP matrix. The thermal stability of Cu2O/PP composites was improved by adding a small amount of Cu2O (1 wt % of PP). Therefore, based on the potential bacteriostasis of cuprous oxide, the low cost of PP and the results of this study, it is predicted that Cu2O/PP composites can be used in infant preparation (such as milk bottles) with low cost and good thermal stability in the near future.

Superfine cuprous oxide (Cu2O) spheres with smooth surface have been successfully synthesized by using gelatin as template. The possible mechanism for the formation of superfine Cu2O sphere is revealed. The results of X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Transmission electron microscope (TEM) indicated that the as-obtained powder was cubic structure, pure, uniform, monodispersed Cu2O spherical polycrystalline with smooth surface. What’s more, the photocatalytic activity of the superfine Cu2O spherical polycrystalline is investigated under visible light irradiation. It is worth noting that the superfine Cu2O microspheres have a highly selective adsorption for anionic dyes, such as methyl orange, and the mechanisms of absorption were mainly attributed to electrostatic adsorption.