The one step synthesis scheme of copper
nanoparticles initiates with dissolving copper chloride
dihydrate (0.02 mol/L) in deionized water to obtain a
blue solution. L-ascorbic acid (0.1 mol/L) was dropwise
added to the aqueous solution of copper salt with
vigorous stirring at 353 K in oil bath. With the passage of
time, the color of dispersion gradually changed from
white, yellow, orange, brown finally to dark brown with
a number of intermediate stages. The appearance of
yellow color followed by orange color indicated the
formation of fine nanoscale copper particles from
L-ascorbic acid assisted reduction. The resulting
dispersion was centrifuged for 15 min. The supernatant
was placed under ambient conditions for two months.
The studies were performed at different concentrations of
ascorbic acid to investigate the size and shapes of copper
nanoparticles.