Formation of hierarchical porous interlaced 3-D nanostructured (Ni-Co)(OH)2 and NiCo2O4 films simultaneously using a novel technique

Abstract

A unique single step method has been evolved for the formation of nickel cobalt binary hydroxide [(Ni-Co)(OH)2] floating film of thickness about 541 nm on the surface of precursor solution by purging NH3 gas over it. Then by transferring the as formed film on a glass substrate, it got transformed into the nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4) film after its calcination at 300 °C. In this very unique and distinct approach the hierarchical porous interlaced 3-D nanostructured films of two different materials (Ni-Co)(OH)2 and (NiCo2O4) have been formed simultaneously using a single precursor solution. The transferability and uniform film thickness by and large have also been observed as additional features of this technique.