Microwave-assisted rapid fabrication of Co3O4 nanorods and application to the degradation of phenol

✍ Scribed by Teh-Long Lai; Yuan-Lung Lai; Chia-Chan Lee; Youn-Yuen Shu; Chen-Bin Wang

• Book ID: 104009747
• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 2008
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 888 KB
• Volume: 131
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0920-5861
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cattod.2007.10.039

✦ Synopsis

A novel microwave-assisted hydrothermal route for preparation of Co 3 O 4 nanorods had been developed. The process contained two steps: first, nanorods of cobalt hydroxide carbonate were obtained from a mixed solution of 50 ml of 0.6 M Co(NO 3 ) 2 Á6H 2 O and 2.4 g of urea under 500 W microwave irradiated for 3 min. Then, the cobalt hydroxide carbonate nanorods were calcined at 400 8C to fabricate pure cobaltic oxide (Co 3 O 4 ) nanorods. Both nanorods were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermogravimetry (TG), infrared (IR) and temperature-programmed reduction (TPR). The catalytic activity towards the degradation of phenol over Co 3 O 4 nanorods was further studied under continuous bubbling of air through the liquid phase. The results showed that phenol was degraded into harmless products (CO 2 and malonic acid). The mechanism of phenol degradation was also discussed.