Synthesis and characterization of crystalline microporous cobalt phosphite nanowires

Crystalline microporous Co11(HPO3)8(OH)6 nanowires have been synthesized through a soft hydrothermal reaction between red phosphor, KOH, and metal halides. These nanowires were found to have their main hexagonal channels along the long axis and a narrow distribution around 30–40nm in diameter. The growth of the nanowires were found to initiate at Co(OH)2 nuclei. The length of the nanowires depends mainly on the hydrothermal reaction time and the amount of Co(OH)2 available at the nuclei to feed the growth of the nanowires. Blue shift of up to 85nm was observed in UV-visible absorption spectra from the Co11(HPO3)8(OH)6 nanowires in comparing with that from the micro-size particle sample, giving an absorption edge deep in the ultraviolet region at about 255nm or a bandgap Eg∼4.9eV.