Hydrothermal synthesis of nano/micro-structured copper and its oxides

[Truncated abstract] This PhD research is concerned with the synthesis of copper-based nano/microstructured materials including copper (Cu), cuprous oxide (Cu2O) and cupric oxide (CuO), with the aim to control their morphologies at nano- to micro-scales to support a wide range of functionalities well known to these materials. To create a synthesis environment which allows unconstraint crystal growth, this study employed a simple solution-based chemical process to produce the targeted materials. Focus on achieving the fundamental understanding of key processes and their interrelationship involved in the synthesis including the chemical reaction, nucleation, crystal growth, and self-assembly, we have successfully produced a range of unique Cu-based nano/microstructures, and established their formation mechanisms. The main contribution of this study includes: (1) we created, for the first time, single crystalline Cu plates with planar dendritic structures, and established a new kinetic growth mechanism; (2) we revealed the sequential formation and dissolution processes of Cu2O crystals, and created, for the first time, an intriguing Cu nodular microstructure; and (3) we investigated the self-assembly mechanisms governing the development of mesostructures of CuO under the influence of [OH-]...