Copper Nanoparticles with a Tunable Size: Implications for Plasmonic Catalysis

An access to copper(0) nanoparticles (CuNPs) from readily available organocopper reagents is reported. This original amine-free methodology proves be practical, fast, and highly reproducible. It yields spherical CuNPs with an excellent control of their size shape. These are fully characterized by electronic microscopy (transmission electron high-resolution TEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, diffraction, UV–vis spectroscopy. The the synthesized in a range 5–9 nm. reactional pathway studied shows two-step process implying formation primitive bulk composed spheroid followed reorganization step induced thiol additive leading final NPs. robustness this convenient protocol enables decigram scale synthesis without altering morphology, which makes it preparative method choice for synthesis. allows rational design future copper-based catalysts. importance controlling several physicochemical parameters such as size, composition, shape metal nanomaterials indeed widely results presented here offer many prospects rapidly developing field copper plasmonic catalysis.