Abstract
Copper oxide, Cu2O is a highly versatile product that can obtained by different techniques including high/low temperature thermal oxidation, sputtering, chemical oxidation, anodic oxidation, electrodeposition, among others. Until now, the most efficient synthetic processes to obtain Cu2O require relatively expensive equipment; therefore, we have developed a novel method based on simultaneous convergent oxidation-reduction reactions in an electrolytic cell at ambient pressure and relatively low temperature. In this work, a Cu(0) plate is oxidized to Cu(I) in the anodic compartment, while a Cu(II)- lactate complex is formed in the cathodic compartment of the cell and then Cu(II) is reduced to Cu(I), all in aqueous media.