Cuprous oxide (Cu2O) crystals with tailored architectures: A comprehensive review on synthesis, fundamental properties, functional modifications and applications

Better understanding the crystal-facet engineering of a crystal with tailored architecture has demonstrated a significant implication for rational design and synthesis of promising micro-/nanostructure. In the past decades, extensive investigations have been devoted to the development of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) crystals with tailored architectures, which can provide a meritorious platform for not only revealing the structure-property-performance relationship and but also improving the performances in their practical applications. Several previous reviews have mainly reported the partial summaries of the advances in facet-dependent properties of Cu2O crystals. However, a comprehensive summary on Cu2O crystals is lacking and highly desirable to further promote the development of function-oriented Cu2O-based micro-/nanostructures. In this review, we will comprehensively highlight the important progresses in Cu2O crystals with tailored architectures, including the synthetic strategies and corresponding growth mechanisms, the fundamental properties of different crystallographic facets, the functional modifications (including doping and hybridization), and their potential applications. Several urgent issues and perspective are also discussed.