Template synthesis of Cu2−xSe nanoboxes and their gas sensing properties

Cu2−xSe nanoboxes with a well-defined hollow structure are successfully synthesized by using Cu2O nanocubes as sacrificial hard templates through a convenient wet-chemical method. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) observation shows that the Cu2−xSe nanocrystals have cubic morphology that are alike to the Cu2O templates. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation shows that the Cu2−xSe nanocrystals have a hollow interior, and they are made of many tiny nanoparticles. The as-prepared Cu2−xSe nanoboxes exhibit a good response and reversibility to some organic gases, such as ethanol and acetone. The responses of the Cu2−xSe nanoboxes to 100 ppm ethanol and acetone are 35.1 and 32.1, respectively, at a working temperature of 300 °C. These results show that the Cu2−x Se nanoboxes are highly promising for gas sensor applications.