Synthesis of Nano CuO by Polymeric Precursor Method and its Low Temperature Reduction to Stable Copper Nanoparticles

CuO nanoparticles showing different morphologies were prepared by polymeric precursor method using three different copper sources: basic copper carbonate, copper nitrate and copper hydroxide. The decomposition temperature of the precursors varies from 200 degrees C to 400 degrees C. The effect of the concentration of the polymeric additive was studied. The CuO nanopowder was reduced to metallic copper at low temperature using hydrazine hydrate as a reducing agent. The oxide was treated with the reducing agent in two forms: (1) as dispersion in 0.1% PVA (dispersion method) (2) as slurry with 0.1% PVA applied on a glass plate (plate method). The maroon copper metal nanofluid achieved in dispersion method was stable for six months and the copper nanopowder obtained from the plate method showed stability for more than six months. The precursor, CuO and Cu nanomaterials were characterized by powder XRD, FT-IR, TGA, SEM and TEM techniques.