Conversion of CuO nanoplates into porous hybrid Cu2O/polypyrrole nanoflakes through a pyrrole-induced reductive transformation reaction.

Porous hybrid Cu2O/polypyrrole nanoflakes have been synthesized from solid CuO nanoplate templates through the pyrrole-induced reductive transformation reaction at elevated temperature. The conversion mechanism involves the reductive transformation of CuO to Cu2O and the in situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole to polypyrrole. In addition, the morphology of the as-converted nanohybrids depends on the shape of the CuO precursors. The strategy enables us to transform single-crystalline CuO nanosheets into hollow hybrid Cu2O/polypyrrole nanoframes. The ability to transform CuO and an organic monomer into porous hybrid materials of conducting polymer and Cu2O with macrosized morphological retention opens up interesting possibilities to create novel nanostructures. Electrochemical examinations show that these porous hybrid Cu2O/polypyrrole nanostructures exhibit efficient catalytic activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), excellent methanol tolerance ability, and catalytic stability in alkaline solution, thus making them promising nonprecious-metal-based catalysts for ORR in alkaline fuel cells and metal-air batteries.