A novel strategy to synthesize cobalt hydroxide and Co3O4 nanowires

Cobalt hydroxide ultra fine nanowires were prepared by a facile hydrothermal route using hydrogen peroxide. This method provides a simple, low cost, and large-scale route to produce beta-cobalt hydroxide nanowires with an average diameter of 5 nm and a length of ca. 10 mu m, which show a predominant well-crystalline hexagonal brucite-like phase. Their thermal decomposition produced highly uniform nanowires of cobalt oxide (Co3O4) under temperature 500 degrees C in the presence of oxygen gas. The produced cobalt oxide was characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electronic microscopy, and selected-area electron diffraction. The results indicated that cobalt oxide nanowires with an average diameter of 10 nm and a length of ca. 600 nm have been formed, which show a predominant well-crystalline cubic face-centered like phase. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.