Porous Texture of CuO Prepared from Copper Oxalate Precursor

Abstract

The porous texture of CuO obtained from CuC 2 O 4 • 0.5H 2 O as a precursor, as well as the interconnection between the texture of the initial oxalate and that of the copper oxide obtained, has been studied by physisorption, XRD, XPS and SEM methods. The dimensions of the particle aggregates and the crystalline particles were altered as a consequence of the thermal decomposition of CuC 2 O 4 • 0.5H 2 O to CuO, and this led to an increase of ca. 1.5-times in the specific surface of the CuO obtained relative to that of the initial substance. The comparatively non-uniform sizes of the intra-aggregate mesopores in CuC 2 O 4 • 0.5H 2 O were transformed into considerably smaller intra-aggregate mesopores in CuO. A finite increase in the volume of the intra-crystallite pores in CuO was also observed, although this did not change the average size of the intra-crystallite pores in the oxide obtained nor the character of the pore-size distribution with respect to the starting material. In addition, as a result of the thermal decomposition of CuC 2 O 4 • 0.5H 2 O, the mesoporosity of the prepared oxide also developed. However, the CuO component retained the textural type characteristic of the initial CuC 2 O 4 • 0.5H 2 O.