Hydrothermal-assisted homogeneous precipitation synthesis of dumbbell-like MnCO3 nanostructures

Novel dumbbell-like MnCO3 nanostructures were synthesized by a hydrothermal-assisted homogeneous precipitation route. The composition, morphology, and crystallinity of MnCO3 nanostructures were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS). The synthesized parameters have been optimized systematically by adjusting different experimental conditions, including the concentrations of reaction reagents, pH value and different kinds of complexing agents. Results showed that the constrained release of configurational ions (Mn2+ and CO32-) was presumed to be a key factor to the formation of dumbbell like MnCO3 nanostructures. These findings provide an alternative perspective to the controlled fabrication of various insoluble nanostructures from the point of view of chemical equilibrium.