Recognition of melting of nanoparticle catalysts with cubically shaped Co3O4 nanoparticles

Cubically shaped cobalt oxide nanoparticle catalysts were used for the first time to investigate the melting of the nanoparticle catalysts responsible for the synthesis of silica nanocoils at 1050 °C and straight nanowires at 1100 °C. Cobalt nanoparticles remained morphologically highly anisotropic after the growth of nanocoils at 1050 °C, whereas they became predominately spherical after straight nanowires were made at 1100 °C. These results strongly indicated that cobalt nanoparticles responsible for the synthesis of straight nanowires were completely molten and that melting occurred to these nanoparticles between 1050 and 1100 °C.

Graphical abstractTransformation of cubically shaped cobalt nanoparticle catalysts from room temperature to 1100 °C: The reduction occurs at below 600 °C, and total melting occurs between 1050 and 1100 °C.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide