Designated-Tailoring on {100} Facets of Cu2O Nanostructures : From Octahedral to Its Different Truncated Forms

A facile template-free controlled synthesis of Cu2O architectures from octahedral to its different truncated forms is successfully achieved. It is found that the precursor formation temperature is crucial to the designated-tailoring on the {100} facets of Cu2O crystals, which can modify the ratio (R) between the growth rates along the 〈100〉 and 〈111〉 directions, leading to the formation of the initial structures with different shapes. The multiple morphologies can be evolved from these varied initial structures via the synergic effect of oriented attachment and ripening mechanism. This template-free complex precursor-based solution route has provided an innovative approach to design the {100} facets with different sizes to further enrich the current morphologies of Cu2O crystals.