Preparation of Cu2O crystals by glucose liquid phase reduction: Morphology evolution and size control

Cu 2 O crystals with different sizes from cube to octahedron have been successfully synthesized by a facile synthetic method without additional capping agents. The residual OH − shows directional adsorption on the {111} facet, modifying the growth rate along the <100> and <111> directions and froming different Cu 2 O shapes. The morphology and size of Cu 2 O crystal are affected by experimental parameters including the concentration of CuSO 4 ·5H 2 O, NaOH, glucose, the pre-reaction time and the initial temperature. • Cu 2 O architectures from cube to octahedron in different sizes are synthesized by a facile surfactant-free method. • Pearson correlation was used to study the correlation of complex variables on the morphology and size of Cu 2 O crystals. • Regulation mechanism of Cu 2 O crystals has been investigated deeply.