Combustion Synthesis of Co3O4 Nanoparticles: Fuel Ratio Effect on the Physical Properties of the Resulting Powders

Co3O4 nanoparticles have been obtained by stoichiometric combustion synthesis: in particular 4 nitrates-aspartic routes each with different fuel ratio (ranging 0.5-2.5) have been studied. It has been determined through XRD that the crystalline structure present in all obtained powders was the face-centered cubic corresponding to Co3O4 and it has been evaluated an average crystallite size ranging between 21 and 76 nm. As regards to the effect of fuel ratio on physical properties, an increment on the crystallite average size and a drop on the specific surface area with the increase of the fuel ratio has been observed.