<p>We
report, for the first time, new insights into the nature of the band gap of <a>CuGeO<sub>3</sub> </a>(CGO) nanocrystals synthesized from a microwave-assisted hydrothermal method in the presence of citrate. To the best
of our knowledge, this synthetic approach has the shortest reaction time and it
works at the lowest temperatures reported in the literature for the preparation
of these materials. The influence of the
surfactant on the structural, electronic, optical, and photocatalytic
properties of CGO nanocrystals is discussed by a combination of experimental
and theoretical approaches, and that results elucidates the nature of the band
gap of synthetized CGO nanocrystals. We believe that this particular strategy
is one of the most critical parameters for the development of innovative
applications and that result could shed some light on the emerging material design
with entirely new properties.</p>
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