Hydrothermal synthesis of Mn(OH)O nanowires and their thermal conversion to (1D)-manganese oxides nanostructures

Manganite Mn(OH)O nanowires were successfully synthesized using a hydrothermal method based on a mild and direct reaction between potassium permanganate and ethylene glycol. Subsequent heat treatment of Mn(OH)O nanowires in air at 400 °C for 4 h and 900 °C for 2 h, was conducted to prepare pyrolusite MnO2 nanobelts and necklace-like bixbyite-C Mn2O3 nanowires, respectively. A variety of techniques, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SA-ED), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM) and thermogravimetry-differential thermal analyzer (TG-DTA), were employed to characterize the resulting materials. The ethylene glycol and heating furnace imposed an effect on the morphology evolution of one dimensional (1D) manganese oxides nanocrystals.

► One-pot hydrothermal method was used for manganite Mn(OH)O nanowires.
► MnO2 and Mn2O3 nanostructures were obtained by thermal treatment of Mn(OH)O.
► Effects of ethylene glycol and thermal temperatures on formation of 1D-manganese oxides nanocrystals were studied.