SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF COPPER NANOPARTICLES BY ELECTROCHEMICAL METHOD

Abstract

Copper nanoparticles have drawn the attention of the scientific and the research community due to its excellent catalytic behaviour, electrical conductivity, surface enhanced Raman scattering activity and good compatibility. In the present study, copper nanoparticles were synthesized using electrochemical method. The effect of pH on copper nanoparticles synthesis was studied at different pH. These nanoparticles differed in their morphological, structural and textural properties, hence the prepared nanoparticles have been characterized by XRD, TEM , FESEM, TG, DTA, DSC and BET. Particles with size varying from 20 nanometer to 7 micrometer were synthesized. All the particles formed were mesoporous in nature. To remove the occluded solvent molecules and there by increase the BET surface area and the porosity of the nanoparticles, solvent exchange activation method was used. A significant change in the XRD pattern was observed when nanoparticles were treated with chloroform for solvent exchange activation. The BET surface area and pore diameter both increased due to the adoption of solvent exchange method. Exchanging the occluded solvent molecules in the nanoparticles with methanol was found to be most effective