Thermal oxidation of Cu2S nanowires: A template method for the fabrication of mesoscopic CuxO (x = 1,2) wires

The thermal behavior of Cu2S nanowires has been studied in the presence of N2 and O2. The nanowires are stable in N2 at the highest temperature we have studied (320 °C), but they are oxidized by O2 to Cu2O above 260 °C and to CuO at even higher temperatures. At the highest temperature we have studied (400 °C), the S atoms in the Cu2S nanowires are completely removed by O2, forming CuxO wires mainly with x = 2. Although the Cu1,2O wires are polycrystalline and are much thicker than Cu2S nanowires, they are remarkably uniform. This represents a new template method for the synthesis of mesoscopic Cu1,2O wires.