  Phenylenediamine (PDA) was chosen as a coordinating, reducing, and capping
agent to effectively direct growth and protect against oxidation of Cu
nanowires (Cu NWs) in an aqueous solution. PDA was found to reduce Cu (II) to
Cu (I) at room temperature, and stabilize the resulting Cu (I) by forming a
coordination complex. The presence of a stable Cu (I) complex is the key step
in the synthesis of Cu NWs under mild conditions. Different PDA isomers lead to
different growth paths of forming Cu NWs. Both pPDA and mPDA-synthesized Cu NWs
were covered with a thin layer of polyphenylenediamine and show excellent
anti-oxidation properties, even in the presence of water. The usefulness of the
present and electrochemical active Cu NWs for a variety of nanotechnology
applications is discussed.

Materials Science