Here we report the synthesis of highly-dense Cu nanowires as advanced electrocatalysts for CO<sub>2</sub> reduction. CuO nanowires were first grown by annealing Cu mesh in air. The CuO nanowires were grown via a solid-vapor mechanism and presumably possessed a bicrystal structure divided by a (111) twin plane parallel to the longitudinal axis. Further treatment of the CuO nanowires under varying conditions produced dense metallic Cu nanowires with distinct structures and electrocatalytic properties for CO reduction. It was found that the electrocatalytic properties of each differently treated Cu nanowire was directly correlated to the crystalline features and surface structures of the nanowires. This work shows promise in the way nanomaterials are treated and prepared for electrocatalytic applications especially for electrochemical conversion and storage of carbon dioxide, an imminent task for our generation.

Synthesis and characterization of highly dense Cu nanowires for electrocatalytic applications

251st National Meeting (2016)

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