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Copper oxide nanowires and cuprous oxide crystals had been synthesized through gamma-irradiating aqueous CuCl(2)-NaOH-sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-isopropyl alcohol solutions under ambient conditions. The product composition could be changed by modulating the amount of base, NaOH. The morphology of the products could be accurately controlled by altering the amounts of SDS and isopropyl alcohol. A possible formation mechanism was also proposed.

The synthesis of novel carbon nanotubes (CNTs) with polygonal cross sections by heating a powder mixture of ferrocene, oxalic acid, and the alkali metal potassium at mediate temperatures (480-500 degrees C) is reported. This kind of special polygonized CNTs has two distinctive characters: first, ribbonlike polygonized CNTs have diameters between 60 and 200 nm, and the lengths as long as several microns; second, the edge of polygonized CNTs is well-graphitized, the wall of which is amorphous. On the basis of evidence that the formation of polygonized CNTs appears to be strongly determined by inhomogeneous catalytic activity of nonspherical Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles, we propose the possible growth model.