Oxidation‐induced nanostructures on Cu{100}, Cu(Ag) and Ag/Cu{100} studied by photoelectron spectroscopy

Initial surface oxidation and nanoscale morphology on Cu{100}, Cu(Ag) and Ag/Cu{100} have been investigated in situ by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X‐ray induced Auger electron spectroscopy (XAES) and the inelastic electron background analysis as a function of oxygen exposure at 3.7 × 10^?2 and 213 mbar pressures at a surface temperature of 373 K. Relative Cu₂O concentrations have been quantified by analysis of the peak shape of the XAES Cu LMM transition. The surface morphology of Cu₂O islands and the Ag layer has been characterized by inelastic electron background analysis of XAES O KLL and Ag 3d transitions. Oxygen‐induced segregation of Cu, as well as the subsequent Cu₂O island formation on Cu(Ag) and Ag/Cu{100} surfaces, has been investigated quantitatively. Our results indicate that Ag has a clear inhibitive effect on the initial oxidation and Cu₂O island formation on Cu(Ag) and Ag/Cu{100} surfaces. The Cu₂O islands are also observed to remain highly strained on Ag/Cu{100} even at higher O₂ exposures. The results suggest that strained Cu₂O islands eventually penetrate through the buried Ag layer, and in conjunction with segregating Cu atoms enable the oxidation to proceed at a similar rate to or even faster than on the unalloyed Cu surface. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Copper doped ceria porous nanostructures towards a highly efficient bifunctional catalyst for carbon monoxide and nitric oxide elimination

Copper doped ceria porous nanostructures with a tunable BET surface area were prepared using an efficient and general metal–organic-framework-driven, self-template route. The XRD, SEM and TEM results indicate that Cu²⁺ was successfully substituted into the CeO₂ lattice and well dispersed in the CeO₂:Cu²⁺ nanocrystals. The CeO₂:Cu²⁺ nanocrystals exhibit a superior bifunctional catalytic performance for CO oxidation and selective catalytic reduction of NO. Interestingly, CO oxidation reactivity over the CeO₂:Cu²⁺ nanocrystals was found to be dependent on the Cu²⁺ dopants and BET surface area. By tuning the content of Cu²⁺ and BET surface area through choosing different organic ligands, the 100% conversion temperature of CO over CeO₂:Cu²⁺ nanocrystals obtained from thermolysis of CeCu–BPDC nanocrystals can be decreased to 110 °C. The porous nanomaterials show a high CO conversion rate without any loss in activity even after five cycles. Furthermore, the activity of the catalysts for NO reduction increased with the increase of BET surface, which is in accordance with the results of CO oxidation.     

油溶性Cu纳米颗粒的两相法制备

在四氢呋喃-饱和氯化钠水溶液的两相体系中利用两相法化学合成了双正十六烷氧基二硫代磷酸(DDP)表面修饰的Cu纳米颗粒. 系统探讨了不同因素对制备Cu纳米颗粒的影响, 并采用透射电子显微镜(TEM)比较分析不同还原剂的用量、Cu^2＋浓度、修饰剂双正十六烷氧基二硫代磷酸铵盐(ADDP)和Cu^2＋的物质的量之比对Cu纳米颗粒粒径及分布的影响; 通过红外光谱仪(IR)、X射线粉末衍射仪(XRD)、X射线光电子能谱仪(XPS)等测试技术对优化条件下所合成的铜纳米颗粒进行了结构表征. 结果表明, 合成粒径细小、分布均匀的铜纳米颗粒的工艺条件为pH值在12左右, 反应温度高于30 ℃, 铜离子浓度小于0.05 mol•L^－1, NaBH₄与Cu^2＋的物质的量之比在8∶1到12∶1之间, ADDP和Cu^2＋的物质的量之比为2∶1和2.5∶1; 所制备的铜纳米颗粒是由无定形的金属Cu无机纳米核及通过化学键键合在其表面的DDP分子所组成, 并且修饰剂在反应前后结构没发生变化.     

Electrocatalytic Oxidation of Calcium Folinate on Carboxyl Graphene Modified CuxO/Cu Electrode

Carboxyl graphene modified Cu_xO/Cu electrode was fabricated. The bare copper electrode was firstly anodic polarized in 1.0 mol/L NaOH solution in order to get Cu_xO nanoparticles, then the carboxyl graphene (CG) was electrodeposited on the Cu_xO/Cu electrode by cyclic potential sweeping. The electrocatalytic oxidation behaviors of calcium folinate (CF) at the graphene modified Cu_xO/Cu electrode were investigated by cyclic voltammetry. A positive scan polarization reverse catalytic voltammetry was used to obtain the pure catalytic oxidation current. The graphene modified Cu_xO/Cu electrode was served as the electrochemical sensor of CF, a highly sensitivity of 22.0 μA·(μmol/μL)^-1cm^-2 was achieved, and the current response was linear with increasing CF concentration in the range of 2.0×10^-7 mol/L to 2.0×10^-5 mol/L, which crossed three orders of magnitude, and the detection limit was found 7.6×10^-8 mol/L (S/N=3). In addition, the proposed sensor was successfully applied in determination of CF in drug sample.     

Comparative study of Cu(II) catalytic sites immobilized onto different polymeric supports

The catalysts with copper(II) ions stabilized onto different polymeric matrixes are prepared on either bulk (Cu/chitosan, Cu/polyethyleneimine-polyacrylic acid (PPA), and Cu-diiminate-impregnated polystyrene, polyarylate, or polymethylmethacrylate) or composite supports (egg-shell type Cu/chitosan/SiO₂ and Cu/PPA/SiO₂). The morphology of the samples and peculiarities of Cu(II) cationic sites are studied by SEM and ESR methods, and the catalyst activities are compared in oxidation of o- and p-dihydroxybenzenes by air in water. The catalytic activity of Cu(II) centers is governed by the coordination of isolated copper ions: for the most active catalysts, i.e., Cu/chitosan and Cu/PPA, the symmetry of isolated Cu²⁺-sites approximates a coordinatively unsaturated square-planar structure. At the same time, accessibility of active sites to water differs for different polymers, so the contribution of hydrophilicity to the reaction pattern cannot be excluded. Redox transformations of the active sites in the course of catalytic tests do not cause copper leaching from the polymer matrix. The binary composite systems with a film of low-loaded hydrofilic Cu-polymer supported on macroporous SiO₂ demonstrate substantially higher activity in oxidation of hydroquinone and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine, as compared with the bulk Cu/polymer samples. In turn, the specific activity of Cu/chitosan/SiO₂ exceeds significantly that of Cu/PPA/SiO₂ due to stabilization of a thinner and more uniform film of chitosan at the surface of silica.     

Supported Pd–Cu Bimetallic Nanoparticles That Have High Activity for the Electrochemical Oxidation of Methanol

Monodisperse bimetallic Pd–Cu nanoparticles with controllable size and composition were synthesized by a one‐step multiphase ethylene glycol (EG) method. Adjusting the stoichiometric ratio of the Pd and Cu precursors afforded nanoparticles with different compositions, such as Pd₈₅–Cu₁₅, Pd₅₆–Cu₄₄, and Pd₃₉–Cu₆₁. The nanoparticles were separated from the solution mixture by extraction with non‐polar solvents, such as n‐hexane. Monodisperse bimetallic Pd–Cu nanoparticles with narrow size‐distribution were obtained without the need for a size‐selection process. Capping ligands that were bound to the surface of the particles were removed through heat treatment when the as‐prepared nanoparticles were loaded onto a Vulcan XC‐72 carbon support. Supported bimetallic Pd–Cu nanoparticles showed enhanced electrocatalytic activity towards methanol oxidation compared with supported Pd nanoparticles that were fabricated according to the same EG method. For a bimetallic Pd–Cu catalyst that contained 15 % Cu, the activity was even comparable to the state‐of‐the‐art commercially available Pt/C catalysts. A STEM‐HAADF study indicated that the formation of random solid‐solution alloy structures in the bimetallic Pd₈₅–Cu₁₅/C catalysts played a key role in improving the electrochemical activity.     

Cu/Cu2O Electrodes and CO2 Reduction to Formic Acid: Effects of Organic Additives on Surface Morphology and Activity

Copper/copper oxide (Cu/Cu₂O) electrodes are known to display interesting electrocatalytic performances for the reduction of CO₂, and thus, deserve further investigation for optimization. Here, we show that the addition of nitrogen‐based organic additives greatly improves the activity of these electrodes (higher current densities, greater selectivity, and higher faradaic yields). The best effector is found to be tetramethyl cyclam. For example, electrolysis at ?2.0 V versus Fc⁺/Fc in CO₂‐saturated DMF/H₂O (99:1, v/v) in the presence of this effector results in formic acid with almost 90 % faradaic yield. SEM and XPS analysis of the electrode surface reveals that the organic additive promotes the formation of active Cu⁰ nanoparticles from Cu₂O during electrolysis. This simple approach provides a straightforward strategy toward the optimization of Cu/Cu₂O electrodes.     

CO Oxidation on Cu/MgO-SiO2 Sol-Gel Derived Catalysts

Sol-gel Cu//MgOSiO₂ catalysts were prepared gelling tetraethoxysilane (TEOS), magnesium ethoxide and copper acetylacetonate at pH 3 and pH 9. The catalysts shown specific surface areas ca. 500 m²/g and 140 m²/g for pH 9 and pH 3 preparations respectively. Si(OH) and Si(OH)₂ hydroxy groups were observed by MAS-RMN spectroscopy in both preparations. CO₂-TPD and NH₃-TPD desorption thermograms showed that acid and basic sites were formed on the catalysts surface. It has been found that the catalysts having the highest density of basic sites were the catalysts showing the highest activity for the CO oxidation. It is proposed that the catalytic activity depends of the relative Cu⁼¹/Cu⁼² stability given by the support acidity.     

Complexing of Cu(II) with N,N'-Diphenylthiooxamide and N,N'-Diphenyldithiooxamide in a Gelatin-Immobilized Cu2[Fe(CN)6] Matrix

A study was made of complexing in Cu(II)-N'N'-diphenylthiooxamide, Cu(II)-N'N'-di-phenyldithiooxamide systems in gelatin-immobilized Cu₂[Fe(CN)₆] matrices brought into contact withaqueous alkaline (pH 12.0±0.1) solutions of these ligands. In both cases, complexing is preceded by alkaline breakdown of copper(II) hexacyanoferrate(II) into Cu(II) hydroxide or oxohydroxide which is the species reacting with the ligands. In each system, complexing yields a Cu(HL)2 chelate (HL^- is the single-deprotonated form of N,N'-diphenylthiooxamide or N,N'-diphenyldithiooxamide).     

Relationship between the Auger parameter and the ground state valence charge of the core-ionized atom: The case of Cu(I) and Cu (II) compounds

We develop a simple semiempirical model that correlates the Auger parameter to the ground state valence charge of the core-ionized atom with closed shell electron configuration. Until now, the Auger parameter was employed to separate initial and final state effects that influence the core electron binding energy. The model is applied to Cu(I) and Cu (II) compounds with the Auger parameter defined as α' = E_b^FL (2p_3/2) + E_k^FL (L₃M₄₅M₄₅;¹G). The Auger parameter shift for Cu(I) ion in CuI, CuBr, CuFeS₂, Cu₂S, and Cu₂O compounds—with respect to the copper free atom—increases with the electronic polarizability of the nearest-neighbour ligands suggesting a nonlocal screening mechanism. This relaxation process is interpreted as due to an electron transfer from the nearest-neighbour ligands toward the spatially extended 4sp valence orbitals of the core-ionized Cu(I) ion. In agreement with our model, a linear relationship is found between the Auger parameter shift and the ground state Bader valence charge obtained by density functional theory calculations. The Auger parameter shift for the Cu (II) ion in CuF₂, CuCl₂, CuBr₂, CuSO₄, Cu (NO₃)₂•3H₂O, Cu₃(PO₄)₂, Cu (OH)₂, and CuO compounds is very close to the Auger parameter of metallic copper, and therefore, it is not related to the calculated ground state Bader valence charge. The relaxation process in the final state is dominated by the local screening mechanism, which involves an electron transfer from the nearest-neighbour ligands toward the spatially contracted 3d orbitals of the core-ionized Cu (II) ion.     

Effect of Ligands on Formation of Photosensitive Oxide Layers on Copper Electrode*

Photosensitive oxide layers are found to develop on copper electrode exposed to solutions containing Cu(II), different ligands, and K₂SO₄ as a supporting electrolyte. Two mechanisms of Cu₂O formation are discussed: corrosion of copper in naturally aerated Cu(II)-free solutions, and interaction between Cu and Cu²⁺ yielding intermediate Cu⁺ ions. Oxide layers formed in the supporting electrolyte at pH 5 and 7 exhibit n-type conduction; the n–p transition is observed at pH 10. An addition of ligands suppresses the oxide formation. The correlation between the photoelectrochemical effects and the stability of Cu(II) complexes is revealed: the higher the complexation degree, the lower the level of photoresponse. A model of nonuniform Cu₂O-containing layer with predominant n- and p-type properties at copper/oxide and oxide/solution interfaces, respectively, is discussed.     

Ambient Pressure X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy Study of Oxidation Phase Transitions on Cu(111) and Cu(110)

The surface structure effect on the oxidation of Cu has been investigated by performing ambient-pressure X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (APXPS) on Cu(111) and Cu(110) surfaces under oxygen pressures ranging from 10⁻⁸ to 1 mbar and temperatures from 300 to 750 K. The APXPS results show a subsequential phase transition from chemisorbed O/Cu overlayer to Cu₂O and then to CuO on both surfaces. For a given temperature, the oxygen pressure needed to induce initial formation of Cu₂O on Cu(110) is about two orders of magnitude greater than that on Cu(111), which is in contrast with the facile formation of O/Cu overlayer on clean Cu(110). The depth profile measurements during the initial stage of Cu₂O formation indicate the distinct growth modes of Cu₂O on the two surface orientations. We attribute these prominent effects of surface structure to the disparities in the kinetic processes, such as the dissociation and surface/bulk diffusion over O/Cu overlayers. Our findings provide new insights into the kinetics-controlled process of Cu oxidation by oxygen.     

Preparation of Shell-Core Cu(2)O-Cu Nanocomposite Particles and Cu Nanoparticles in a New Microemulsion System

Shell–core Cu₂O–Cu nanocomposite particles and metal Cu nanoparticles are synthesized in a new microemulsion system which consists of saturated Cu²⁺ salt aqueous solution dispersed in isopropanol and stabilized by polyvinylalcohol (PVA). The size of the composite particles and the thickness of the Cu₂O shell layer can be controlled by the volume ratio of isopropanol to H₂O (the ratio is defined as R). When R ≥ 1000, it is available to obtain metal Cu nanoparticles.     

Preparation of Monodispersed Copper Nanoparticles by an Environmentally Friendly Chemical Reduction

In this paper, highly dispersive nanosized copper particles with a mean particle size of less than 6 nm are prepared by an environmentally friendly chemical reduction method. Non-toxic L-ascorbic acid acts as both reducing agent and antioxidant in ethylene glycol in the absence of any other capping agent. Transmission electron microscopy （TEM） is used to characterize the size and morphology of Cu nanoparticles. The results of UV-Vis spectroscopy （UV-Vis）, energy dispersive spectroscopy （EDS） and high resolution TEM （HRTEM） illustrate that the resultant product is pure Cu nanocrystals. The size of Cu nanoparticles is remarkably impacted by the order of reagent addition, and the investigation reveals the reaction procedure of Cu^2＋ ions and L-ascorbic acid.     

Plasma-assisted oxidation of Cu(100) and Cu(111)

Oxidized copper surfaces have attracted significant attention in recent years due to their unique catalytic properties, including their enhanced hydrocarbon selectivity during the electrochemical reduction of CO₂. Although oxygen plasma has been used to create highly active copper oxide electrodes for CO₂RR, how such treatment alters the copper surface is still poorly understood. Here, we study the oxidation of Cu(100) and Cu(111) surfaces by sequential exposure to a low-pressure oxygen plasma at room temperature. We used scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM), low energy electron microscopy (LEEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), near edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) for the comprehensive characterization of the resulting oxide films. O₂-plasma exposure initially induces the growth of 3-dimensional oxide islands surrounded by an O-covered Cu surface. With ongoing plasma exposure, the islands coalesce and form a closed oxide film. Utilizing spectroscopy, we traced the evolution of metallic Cu, Cu₂O and CuO species upon oxygen plasma exposure and found a dependence of the surface structure and chemical state on the substrate''s orientation. On Cu(100) the oxide islands grow with a lower rate than on the (111) surface. Furthermore, while on Cu(100) only Cu₂O is formed during the initial growth phase, both Cu₂O and CuO species are simultaneously generated on Cu(111). Finally, prolonged oxygen plasma exposure results in a sandwiched film structure with CuO at the surface and Cu₂O at the interface to the metallic support. A stable CuO(111) surface orientation is identified in both cases, aligned to the Cu(111) support, but with two coexisting rotational domains on Cu(100). These findings illustrate the possibility of tailoring the oxidation state, structure and morphology of metallic surfaces for a wide range of applications through oxygen plasma treatments.

A low-pressure oxygen plasma oxidized Cu(100) and Cu(111) surfaces at room temperature. The time-dependent evolution of surface structure and chemical composition is reported in detail for a range of exposure times up to 30 min.     

Novel Copper(I) Clusters with 2‐(Diphenylphosphanyl)anilide Ligands. Synthesis and Crystal Structures of [Cu6X2(NHR)4] (X = Cl,Br, I; R = C6H4‐2‐PPh2)

Treatment of copper(I) halides CuX (X = Cl, Br, I) with lithium 2‐(diphenylphosphanyl)anilide [Li(HL)] in THF led to the formation of hexanuclear copper(I) complexes [Cu₆X₂(HL)₄] [X = Cl ( 1 ), Br ( 2 ), I ( 3 )]. In compounds 1 – 3 , the copper atoms are in a distorted octahedral arrangement and the amide ligands adopt a μ₃‐κP,κ²N bridging mode. Additionally there are two μ₂‐bridging halide ligands. Each of the [Cu₆X₂(HL)₄] clusters comprises two copper atoms, which are surrounded by two amide nitrogen atoms in an almost linear coordination [Cu–N: 186.2(3)–188.0(3) pm] and four copper atoms, which are connected to an amide N atom, a P atom, and a halogen atom in a distorted trigonal planar fashion [Cu–N: 199.6(3)–202.3(3) pm)].     

Underpotential Deposition‐Induced Synthesis of Composition‐Tunable Pt?Cu Nanocrystals and Their Catalytic Properties

Pt? Cu alloy octahedral nanocrystals (NCs) have been synthesized successfully by using N,N‐dimethylformamide as both the solvent and the reducing agent in the presence of cetyltrimethylammonium chloride. Cu underpotential deposition (UPD) is found to play a key role in the formation of the Pt? Cu alloy NCs. The composition in the Pt? Cu alloy can be tuned by adjusting the ratio of metal precursors in solution. However, the Cu content in the Pt? Cu alloy NCs cannot exceed 50 %. Due to the fact that Cu precursor cannot be reduced to metallic copper and the Cu content cannot exceed 50 %, we achieved the formation of the Pt? Cu alloy by using Cu UPD on the Pt surface. In addition, the catalytic activities of Pt? Cu alloy NCs with different composition were investigated in electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid. The results reveal that the catalytic performance is strongly dependent on Pt? Cu alloy composition. The sample of Pt₅₀Cu₅₀ exhibits excellent activity in electrocatalytic oxidation of formic acid.     

In vivo formation of Cu(DDC)2 complex induced by nanomedicine for mesothelioma chemotherapy

The copper(II) diethyldithiocarbamate (Cu(DDC)₂) complex exhibited excellent inhibition to cancer cells. The usual administration is intravenous injection for disulfram and oral for copper. A new strategy was reported to improve the administration efficiency of the Cu(DDC)₂ drug. Poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA) nanoparticles were used to trap disulfram and copper gluconate separately, the two types of drug loaded nanoparticles were injected in mesothelioma-bearing nude mice via intraperitoneal injection. The in vivo formation of Cu(DDC)₂ complex was induced by disulfiram and Cu²⁺ released from PLGA nanoparticles. This strategy avoided many obstacles in the use of Cu(DDC)₂ complex as chemotherapeutic and exhibited excellent anticancer activity to mesothelioma.     

An unusual coordination polymer containing Cu+ ions and featuring possible Cu...Cu `cuprophilic' interactions: poly[di‐μ‐chlorido‐(μ4‐3,5‐diaminobenzoato‐κ4O:O′:N:N′)tricopper(I)(3 Cu—Cu)]

Compounds containing copper(I) are of interest for their role in biological processes. The nature of short (< ∼3.2 Å) Cu...Cu contacts within these compounds has been debated, being either described as weakly attractive (bonding) `cuprophilic' interactions, or simply as short metal–metal distances constrained by ligand geometry or largely ionic in nature. The title three‐dimensional Cu<sup>+</sup>‐containing coordination polymer, [Cu<sub>3</sub>(C<sub>7</sub>H<sub>7</sub>N<sub>2</sub>O<sub>2</sub>)Cl<sub>2</sub>]<sub>n</sub>, was formed from the in situ reduction of CuCl<sub>2</sub> in the presence of 3,5‐diaminobenzoic acid and KOH under hydrothermal conditions. Its complex crystal structure contains ten distinct Cu<sup>I</sup> atoms, two of which lie on crystallographic inversion centres. The copper coordination geometries include near‐linear CuOCl and CuN<sub>2</sub>, T‐shaped CuOCl<sub>2</sub> and distorted tetrahedral CuOCl<sub>3</sub> groups. Each Cu<sup>I</sup> atom is also associated with two adjacent metal atoms, with Cu...Cu distances varying from 2.7350 (14) to 3.2142 (13) Å; if all these are regarded as `cuprophilic' interactions, then infinite [01] zigzag chains of Cu^I atoms occur in the crystal. The structure is consolidated by N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds.     

非水体系中苯并三唑在铜电极上吸附的电化学表面增强拉曼光谱研究

采用电化学现场表面增强拉曼光谱(SERS)研究了非水体系中苯并三唑(BTAH)在铜电极上的吸附及成膜行为, 结果表明非水体系中BTAH的吸附行为随电位变化而不同. 较负电位区间主要以中性分子形式吸附; 中间电位区间主要以BTA^－吸附并不可逆成膜; 而在氧化电位区间主要表现为铜的氧化. 随中性配体三苯基膦(pph₃)的加入, 在中间电位区间, 由于易溶的Cu(pph₃)_n⁺的生成而使铜的溶解速度加快, 最终该阳离子在溶液中和BTA^-作用而生成了多核铜的配合物. 采用直接电化学方法模拟电极表面过程合成了相应的吸附产物, 并对其组成进行了相关表征.