A research team led by Kim Yong Chol, a researcher at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering, has established a method for preparing nano-cuprous oxide by mechanochemical method.
Mechanochemical method, an effective one for obtaining a desired product by simply ball milling reactants in solid phase with mechanical energy required for chemical reactions, has been widely applied recently.
Mechanochemical method is convenient to run and environmentally friendly. In addition, as mechanochemical actions, which increase the driving force of a reaction and the reaction speed, it enables chemical reactions that are impossible or difficult to perform at room temperature.
Therefore, mechanochemical reactions have some characteristics different from ordinary chemical reactions, and reaction mechanisms and thermodynamic and kinetic characteristics are also significantly different from ordinary thermochemical reactions.
Taking into account the factors influencing the preparation of copper oxide from copper sulfate, glucose and sodium hydroxide, they prepared nano cuprous oxide by mechanochemical method.
To prepare nano-cuprous oxide, copper sulphate was chosen as a precursor, glucose as a reductant, and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as a dispersant for the experiment.
First, required amount of copper sulphate and glucose were pulverized, respectively, and mixed uniformly. Then, pulverized sodium hydroxide and SDS were added to the mixture, respectively, and then ground in a ball mill.
As the milling time increased, the mixture turned from pale blue to orange, and the reaction continued for 50 minutes.
The milled product was taken out, dissolved in distilled water and left to separate the layers. After filtering and washing several times with distilled water and ethanol, they finally obtained nano-cuprous oxide powder by drying it at 60℃ for 4 hours.
The characteristics of the nano-cuprous oxide prepared in the experiments were analyzed by XRD and SEM.
Nano-cuprous oxide prepared in this way can be utilized as a disinfectant at fruit farms, as a photocatalyst in chemical industry and as a colourant in ceramic industry.
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