title: Size-controlled preparation of Cu2O octahedron nanocrystals and studies on their optical absorption.
abstract: We report herein the size-controlled preparation of monodispersed cuprous oxide octahedron nanocrystals smaller than 100 nm. The method is based on the reduction of copper nitrate in Triton X-100 water-in-oil (w/o) microemulsions by gamma-irradiation. The average edge length of the octahedron-shaped nanocrystals varies from 45 to 95 nm as a function of the dose rate. The quantum confinement effect was illustrated by the blueshift in the optical absorption. In addition, the growth process was also traced by absorption spectra.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry, College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xinghai
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Hongcheng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gao