Evolution of Cobalt Oxide Nanostructures on Glass Substrate via Two Step Solution Route Synthesis

Abstract

Controlling the morphology in the nanoscale has proven to be an effective way to drastically change the properties of materials. In this study, several morphologies of cobalt oxide (Co3O4) were synthesized by employing a two-step solution route. A Co3O4 seed layer was first deposited on the glass substrate via spin Coating using a Cobalt acetate precursor followed by chemical bath deposition of another Co3O4 layer using cobalt nitrate precursor. The effect of the seed layer and the deposition times on the morphology of the secondary Co3O4 nanostructures was verified by employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Morphologies like nanoplatelets, nanorods, nanofibrils and porous nanowalls were observed in the SEM. Other characterization techniques such as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray diffraction technique (XRD) were used to elucidate the formation of Co3O4. Furthermore, the surface of the seed layer was determined via atomic force microscope. It was found that the roughness of the seed layer ranges from ~0.3 to 3 nm depending on the concentration of the cobalt precursor used. Results showed that the morphology of Co3O4 can be easily modified using the two-step solution route technique. The alterations of the morphology of Co3O4 could lead to morphologies with unique properties and development of functional materials applicable in the field of energy and electronics.