Rapid and large-scale synthesis of Co3O4 octahedron particles with very high catalytic activity, good supercapacitance and unique magnetic property

Abstract

Scarcity of rapid and large scale synthesis of functional materials, hinders the progress from laboratory scale to commercial applications. In this study, we report a rapid and large scale synthesis of Co(Sub3)O(sub4) octahedron micron size (1.3 µm) particles enclosed by (111) facets. The octahedron particles were composed of+/-25 nm rectangular/cube shaped particles as seen from the TEM images. We have characterized and evaluated the catalytic, supercapacitance and magnetic properties of the as prepared material. The Co(Sub3)O(sub4) octahedron particles were highly active in heterogeneous PMS activation reaction. Formation of Co-OH bonding due to water molecule dissociation on the (111) surface of the particles were evident from the ELNEFS analysis. The as prepared octahedron materials showed >4 times higher pseudocapacitance properties (182 F/g) with good capacity retention ability (upto a 1000 cycle was studied) compared to commercial microcrystalline Co(Sub3)O(sub4) powder (43 F/g). The material showed interesting magnetic properties at low temperature. A coexistence of superparamagnetic single domain and linear/quadratic behaviours was observed at low temperature for the as prepared Co3O4 octahedron particles.