Cu ₂0 hollow spheres: Synthesis, characterization and magnetic property

Cu ₂0 hollow spheres with thin shells were synthesized using poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as the template in deionized water. In this process, CuAc ₂ . H ₂0 was reduced by acerbic acid in the presence of PVP and sodium hydroxide. Techniques, including XRD, XPS, TEM and HRTEM were used to characterize the morphology, structure and composition of the as-prepared nanomaterials. The results revealed that the average diameter of polycrystalline Cu ₂0 hollow spheres is about 200 nm, with the shells as thin as -10 nm. The formation mechanism, of these hollow spheres was studied. Magnetic property of the sample demonstrates a paramagnetic behavior at 15 K, and it might be attributed to the hollow-sphere structure of the diamagnetic Cu ₂O.