title: Cuprous hydroxide in a solid form: does it exist?
abstract: Experimental studies have been performed to obtain the unknown cuprous hydroxide compound, which has recently been predicted theoretically (P. A. Korzhavyi et. al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2012, 109, 686-689) to be metastable in a solid form. The reduction of Cu(2+) with ferrous ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA) results in the formation of a yellow powder precipitate whose composition corresponds to CuOH × H2O as probed by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and cryogenic X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS). A similar compound has been found on the surface of Cu-CuH powder stored in water, as detected by XPS. The reduction of Cu(2+) to Cu(+) with free radicals in aqueous solutions results in a Cu2O precipitate as the final product, while the formation of the yellow cuprous hydroxide colloids may be an intermediate step. Our studies reveal that cuprous hydroxide does exist in a solid form and most likely has a hydrated form, CuOH × H2O.
authors.affiliation: Applied Physical Chemistry, School of Chemical Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, SE-100 44 Stockholm, Sweden. inna.soroka66@gmail.com
authors.forename: Inna L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Soroka
authors.forename: Andrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shchukarev
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jonsson
authors.forename: Nadezda V
authors.initials: NV
authors.lastname: Tarakina
authors.forename: Pavel A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Korzhavyi
mesh_terms: D003300:Copper / Q000737:chemistry*; D006878:Hydroxides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010316:Particle Size; D013499:Surface Properties
chemical_list: D006878:Hydroxides; D003300:Copper; C031356:hydroxide ion