The effect of surface ligands on the nanostructure and stability of Au@Cu2O core-shell nanoparticles

Cu2O nanoparticles, as a visible-light responsive p-type semiconductor, have attracted much attention in photocatalysis. However, the applications of Cu2O NPs have been limited due to the low transferring efficiency of photogenerated charge carriers. In this study, taking Au nanorods as core, the growth kinetic process, morphology, and stability of [email protected]2O nanostructures were controlled by employing three different surface ligands, namely, polyacrylic acid (PAA), cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). As a result, relatively stable [email protected]2O nanocubes were obtained using CTAB. [email protected]2O NPs with cubic morphology can also be observed using anionic SDS. However, [email protected]2O-SDS shell is unstable and easily falls off. The most stable [email protected]2O nanostructures with rough surfaces were synthesized using anionic polymer PAA. Thus, this study provides an effective way to control the nanostructures and stability of the metal-semiconductor heterostructures.