Controlled growth of Cu₂O particles on a hexagonally nanopatterned aluminium substrate

Without using any additives, cuprous oxide (Cu₂O) nanoparticles with a size of less than 20 nm that are hexagonally arrayed on a substrate are prepared by electrochemical methods based on the preferential nucleation of seeds on a nanostructured substrate. The nanosized Cu₂O particles develop to become uniform microparticles of Cu₂O. We found that the nanostructured substrate leads to the lowering of the overpotential for the nucleation of Cu₂O particles and narrows the size distribution of the particles, compared to a polished substrate.