Amphiphilic molecule controlled synthesis of CuO nano/micro-superstructure film with hydrophilicity and superhydrophilicity surface

This paper described how we obtained cupric oxide (CuO) nano/micro superstructure film with hydrophilicity and superhydrophilicity surfaces by a controllable synthesis of amphiphilic molecule, cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and polyethylene glycol-6000(PEG), via a simple solution-immersion process on Cu foil at room-temperature. A series of control experiments indicated that the concentration of NaOH, the concentration and the species of the amphiphilic molecule had directly influenced the morphology and wettability of the products. Because of their novel structure and wettability, the CuO films could be a promising material for fabricating optical switches, solar cells and catalyst or could be used as a gas-sensing medium. And the wettability of the CuO films may be used in some areas.