Morphology-controlled synthesis of Co 3 O 4 by one step template-free hydrothermal method

Abstract We had developed a facile synthetic route of Co 3 O 4 crystals with different morphologies via one step template-free hydrothermal method. The phase and composition of the Co 3 O 4 were investigated by X-ray powder diffraction and Raman spectrum. The morphology and structure of the synthesized samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The H 2 O 2 played a crucial role in morphological control of Co 3 O 4 nanostructures. It only obtained Co-based precursor in the absence of H 2 O 2 . On the contrary, the Co 3 O 4 with different morphologies including nanoparticles, nano-discs and well-defined octahedral nanostructures were synthesized in the presence of H 2 O 2 . In addition, the optical property of the obtained Co 3 O 4 samples was investigated by UV–vis spectra.