How assembly matters to catalysis and thermal conductivity mediated by CuO nanoparticles.

CuO nanostructures (NSs) of different morphologies were prepared, applied as catalysts for the pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse (PSCB), and applied for thermally-conductive nanofluids. Both size and shape of the prepared NSs ranged from 5 to 1000 nm, and from nanodots (NDs) to spindle nano-aggregates (NAs), respectively. The catalytic activity of these NSs towards the PSCB was followed up by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), where they increased the percentage of total weight loss, and lowered the decomposition temperatures of PSCB.