Use of ultrasound-assisted co-precipitation route to obtain CuMnO2 semiconductor nanomaterials.

CuMnO₂ nanoparticles were obtained for the first time by sonochemical synthesis in an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide containing soluble copper and manganese nitrate reactants without any further thermal treatment. Experiments were performed at different lengths of time (20 min, 30 and 40 min) and ultrasound amplitude of 80%. The materials present the expected crednerite structure (C2/m space group), and the nanoparticles average size and morphology for each sample are studied by nanoparticle tracking analysis method, respectively, by transmission electron microscopy. The as-obtained materials display p-type semiconductivity behavior at room temperature and the value for direct optical band gap E_G is estimated to be approximately ~ 3.6 eV. The study of the magnetic properties for the nanocrystalline crednerite samples reveals 2D magnetic behavior below 110 K and a weak ferromagnetic component at ~ 20 K. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]