Shape-controlled synthesis of star-shaped Cu2-xSySe1-y materials with highly enhanced chemiluminescence

In this work, six-pointed star-shaped Cu2-xSySe1-y materials were synthesized in a facile one-pot template method at relatively low temperature (85 degrees C). The edges, corners, length and surfaces of the starshaped Cu2-xSySe1-y alloyed materials can be effectively tuned by adjusting the reaction temperature, and the concentrations of NaOH and hydrazine hydrate. The growth and formation mechanisms of sixpointed star-shaped Cu2O templates were investigated in detail by analysing time-dependent SEM images, and a possible growth model was proposed to explain the formation mechanism of the star-shaped Cu2O templates. Moreover, the star-shaped Cu2-xSySe1-y materials exhibited highly catalytic activity, which enhanced the chemiluminescence (CL) in a luminoleH(2)O(2) system by approximately 100-fold. This study may provide an avenue into a new field of application for innovative Cu2-xSySe1-y materials in catalysis and environmental monitoring. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.