Structural and Surface Characteristics of CuO and Pt/CuO Nanostructured Thin Films

Abstract

The most prominent and utilizable platinum-coated copper Oxide nanostructured thin films are prepared using the SILAR method. Their structural properties have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectroscopy. XRD pattern reveals the phase purity and crystallinity of CuO nanostructures. The average grain size estimated from XRD gives diameters in the range of 14 - 27 nm. Raman spectra explain the structural information of CuO and Pt/CuO nanostructured thin films, in which the peaks observed at
328 cm^-1, 609.32 cm^-1and 1141.77 cm^-1are the different phonon modes of CuO. The peakat 2136 cm^-1provides strong evidence for the formation of platinum on CuO nanostructures. The SEM micrograph confirms the floral morphology, which is composed
of nano petals. From the observed morphology, it is observed that the deposited thin films such as CuO and Pt/CuO will give interesting applications to our society by being selfcleaning agents, photocatalysts, semiconductor devices, optical fibers, … etc.

Keywords: CuO, Pt/CuO, Structural analysis, SILAR, Crystallinity.