title: Copper nanocoils synthesized through solvothermal method.
abstract: Recently helical nanostructures such as nanosprings and nanocoils have drawn great interests in nanotechnology, due to their unique morphologies and physical properties, and they may be potential building blocks in sorts of electromechanical, magnetic, photoelectronic and plasmonic devices at micro/nanoscales. In this report, multi-turns copper nanocoils were synthesized through a modified solvothermal method, in which the mixture of water and N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) were selected as reaction medium and copolymer poly(1-vinylpyrrolidone-co-vinyl acetate) (PVP/VA 64E) as reductant. In the liquid solution, nanosprings could be formed from relaxed nanocoils and demonstrated high elasticity. These nanocoils and nanosprings are of single crystalline structure, with the characteristics wire diameters ranging from tens to a few hundreds of nanometers and the ring/coil diameters mostly ~10-35 microns. Their growth and deformation mechanisms were then investigated and discussed along with that of previously reported single-turn copper nanorings. This work could be of importance for researchers working on synthesis and applications of novel 1-D helical nanomaterials and their functional devices.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonics and Photon Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China.|Department of Bioengineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China.
authors.forename: Yanjuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.|Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Xiaowei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Photonics and Photon Technology, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China.
authors.forename: Yongjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering, School of Chemical Engineering, Northwest University, Xi'an, Shaanxi, 710069, China.
authors.forename: Haiming
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical and Biomedical Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.|Center of Super-Diamond and Advanced Films (COSDAF), City University of Hong Kong, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Lu