Soft-template-assisted synthesis: a promising approach for the fabrication of transition metal oxides

The past few decades have witnessed transition metal oxides (TMOs) as promising candidates for a plethora of applications in numerous fields. The exceptional properties retained by these materials have rendered them of paramount emphasis as functional materials. Thus, the controlled and scalable synthesis of transition metal oxides with desired properties has received enormous attention. Out of different top-down and bottom-up approaches, template-assisted synthesis predominates as an adept approach for the facile synthesis of transition metal oxides, owing to its phenomenal ability for morphological and physicochemical tuning. This review presents a comprehensive examination of the recent advances in the soft-template-assisted synthesis of TMOs, focusing on the morphological and physicochemical tuning aided by different soft-templates. The promising applications of TMOs are explained in detail, emphasizing those with excellent performances.

Micelle Structure in a Deep Eutectic Solvent for the Electrochemical Preparation of Nanomaterials

The self-aggregation of a surfactant in a deep eutectic solvent (DES) for electrodeposition is reported. The physical properties and electrochemical behavior of an anionic surfactant, sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), in a widely used DES, a choline chloride-urea mixture (ChCl-urea), were investigated. On the basis of surface tension and the conductivity measurements, the SDS micelles that were formed in the ChCl-urea system remained stable at higher temperatures, that is, 90 °C. Cyclic voltammetric and chronoamperometric data indicate that the addition of SDS to the DES may alter the nucleation and the growth processes that occur in the electrodeposition process. Scanning electron microscopy images show that the SDS adsorption prevents dendrite formation during the electrodeposition process. A simple mechanism for the formation of the SDS micelles in the DES system for electrodeposition is proposed.

Aqueous synthesis of protectant-free copper nanocubes by a disproportionation reaction of Cu2O on synthetic saponite

Here, we report a synthesis of Cu nanocubes by photoreduction of CuSO4. Because synthetic saponite (one of the layered clay minerals) was used as the adsorbent, the nanocubes contained no capping agents or protectants, and the disproportionation reaction of Cu2O with H2SO4 was found to be the key for morphological control.

Bottom-up synthesis of ordered metal/oxide/metal nanodots on substrates for nanoscale resistive switching memory

The bottom-up approach using self-assembled materials/processes is thought to be a promising solution for next-generation device fabrication, but it is often found to be not feasible for use in real device fabrication. Here, we report a feasible and versatile way to fabricate high-density, nanoscale memory devices by direct bottom-up filling of memory elements. An ordered array of metal/oxide/metal (copper/copper oxide/copper) nanodots was synthesized with a uniform size and thickness defined by self-organized nanotemplate mask by sequential electrochemical deposition (ECD) of each layer. The fabricated memory devices showed bipolar resistive switching behaviors confirmed by conductive atomic force microscopy. This study demonstrates that ECD with bottom-up growth has great potential to fabricate high-density nanoelectronic devices beyond the scaling limit of top-down device fabrication processes.

The formation of heterointerface defects in Au/Cu films on Si substrates under direct current in a vacuum ultraviolet environment

Au/Cu metallic films were deposited on p-Si(100) substrates with and without an Au upper layer by magnetron sputtering. The defect formation and nanoscale interfacial evolution at the Au/Cu and Cu/Si interfaces were studied by using Auger electron spectroscopy (AES) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results showed that an increase in defects at the heterointerfaces and in the surface layer was induced by the effect of a direct current (DC) in a vacuum ultraviolet (UV) environment, which could provide more channels for the removal of atoms. The directed migration of atomic clusters in the films was caused by the effect of the DC, which also aggravated the defects' expansion and led to the formation of Au-Cu intermetallic compounds (IMCs). In addition, the voids formed at the interface between the Au/Cu films and the Si substrates were found to be mainly related to the generation of the material Au2Cu3.

Atmospheric-pressure microplasma as anode for rapid and simple electrochemical deposition of copper and cuprous oxide nanostructures

Atmospheric-pressure microplasma could be applied as gaseous anode for transferring positive charges and controllably electrodepositing Cu and Cu₂O nanocrystals.

Green electrochemical template synthesis of CoPt nanoparticles with tunable size, composition, and magnetism from microemulsions using an ionic liquid (bmimPF6)

Electrodeposition from microemulsions using ionic liquids is revealed as a green method for synthesizing magnetic alloyed nanoparticles, avoiding the use of aggressive reducing agents. Microemulsions containing droplets of aqueous solution (electrolytic solution containing Pt(IV) and Co(II) ions) in an ionic liquid (bmimPF6) define nanoreactors in which the electrochemical reduction takes place. Highly crystalline hcp alloyed CoPt nanoparticles, in the 10-120 nm range with a rather narrow size distribution, have been deposited on a conductive substrate. The relative amount of aqueous solution to ionic liquid determines the size of the nanoreactors, which serve as nanotemplates for the growth of the nanoparticles and hence determine their size and distribution. Further, the stoichiometry (Pt(x)Co(1-x)) of the particles can be tuned by the composition of the electrolytic solution inside the droplets. The control of the size and composition of the particles allows tailoring the room-temperature magnetic behavior of the nanoparticles from superparaparamagnetic to hard magnetic (with a coercivity of HC = 4100 Oe) in the as-obtained state.

Room temperature light-induced recrystallization of Cu2O cubes to CuO nanostructures in water

Visible light irradiation induces recrystallization of Cu₂O cubes to [010] growth-directed CuO nanoribbons in water due to the creation of active ˙OH and ˙O₂⁻ species and outward Cu diffusion along unstable {010} facets.