Morphogenesis of CuI Nanocrystals by a TSA‐Assisted Photochemical Route: Synthesis, Optical Properties, and Growth Mechanism

Abstract

Synthesis of nanosized CuI crystals has become more and more important due to their wide range of applications. However, it is usually difficult to control the morphology and size of CuI crystals because of the preferential growth of the (111) face. In this study, single‐crystalline γ‐CuI nanocrystals with diamond and platelet morphologies have been successfully synthesised by utilising UV‐irradiated 12‐tungstosilicate (TSA) as a reducing agent for the reduction of Cu2+ under ambient conditions. A possible growth mechanism has been proposed and this suggests that the formation of diamond‐shaped CuI nanocrystals is in accordance with homogeneous nucleation theory and the formation of CuI platelets is due to reaction‐controlled growth with (111) facets as the basal planes. Both diamond‐shaped and platelet‐shaped CuI nanocrystals have a strong emission band at 365 nm which is different from the previous reports and a high electrical conductivity, indicating their promising applications in optical and electronic nanodevices. (© Wiley‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2009)

Cuprous iodide - a p-type transparent semiconductor: history and novel applications

“…Single‐crystalline γ‐CuI nano‐crystals with diamond and platelet morphologies have been synthesized using UV‐irradiated 12‐tungstosilicate (TSA) as a reducing agent for the reduction of Cu 2+ under ambient conditions . Uniform single‐crystalline γ‐CuI nano‐crystals with tetrahedral morphology (having four side facets) have been obtained from the reaction between CuSO 4 and KI under ambient conditions .…”

Synthesis of ultrathin two-dimensional nanosheets and van der Waals heterostructures from non-layered γ-CuI

“…Furthermore, there are several reports on the synthesis of the γ-CuI single crystal nanoplates with the thickness of 60-90 nm via PEG/TSA-assisted solution-based methods. 43,44 However, the synthesis of regular and ultrathin γ-CuI nanosheets has not been reported. Here, we report a facile physical vapor deposition method to prepare high-quality single-crystalline γ-CuI nanosheets with the thickness down to 1 nm.…”

Effect of Surfactants on the Structural and Luminescence Properties of γ‐CuI Nanocrystals Synthesized by Facile Sonochemical Method

“…The hexagonal‐shaped particles were observed in the FESEM image of CK4 and shown in Figure (d). Similar morphology was reported earlier for CuI using UV‐irradiated 12‐tungstosilicate . The adsorption of long alkyl chain anions of DS onto Cu cations inhibits the growth of crystal nuclei due to steric hindrance of the anionic group and results in irregularly shaped nano‐plates.…”

“…Reduction of Cu 2+ ions results in the supersaturation of Cu + and I − which leads to nucleation of the γ phase of CuI. γ‐CuI crystallizes in a zinc‐blende structure in which each Cu + ion is at a tetrahedral site surrounded by I – ions and vice‐versa, adopting a face‐centred cubic (fcc) structure . The tetrahedral CuI crystals are polar, either charged by (I – ) anions or by (Cu + ) cations.…”