An alcohol co-solvent such as ethanol or tert-butanol is essential to the synthesis of 3±1 nm Co3O4 nanoparticles. Without an alcohol, such as ethanol or tert-butanol, the synthesis yields mixed phases Co3O4 and β-Co(OH)2 with a very large particle-size range (14-400 nm). Several hypotheses were proposed for the alcohol solvent effect in the synthesis of the small and mono-dispersed Co3O4 nanoparticles. Our studies disproved the surface ligand thermodynamic effect based on the absence of any alcohol or alkoxide surface ligands on nanoparticles. Instead, acetate ligands were detected and quantified in the {[Co3O4(C2H3O2)]-[(NH4+)0.3(H+0.7)]+(H2O)}∼216 nanoparticles that are structurally and compositionally characterized.

Disproof of a surface-ligand thermodynamic effect in the synthesis of Co3O4 nanoparticles

256th National Meeting (2018)

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