the synthesis of monodisperse, stable, and uniformly-shaped and sized CuNPs has proven difficult because of the tendency for copper to rapidly oxidize. To minimize copper oxidation, previous syntheses have typically been performed at lower precursor concentrations, and under the protection of an inert gas. [1] In addition, CuNPs have a tendency to be fairly unstable in solution and they are tending to aggregate during synthesis. Polymers, surfactants, and ligands can be used as stabilizers in aqueous media, preventing agglomeration to yield highly stable, well-dispersed metal nanoparticles. [2] In this paper, we describe a simple and green method for the preparation of copper nanostructure with controlled size and shape.
