Fabrication of Au–Cu2O core–shell nanocube heterostructures

Au–Cu2O core–shell nanocubes with edge dimensions of 15–45 nm have been produced by annealing a copper grid at 300 °C in air in the presence of tetraoctylammonium bromide-stabilized gold nanoparticles. The microstructure of these novel heterostructures, especially the interface between gold nanoparticle core and Cu2O shell, has been investigated in detail using high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). Chemical analyses have been performed on a single Au–Cu2O core–shell nanocube using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) in the scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). Based on the experimental results, a growth mechanism is proposed.