Facile synthesis and versatile applications of Co sub(3)O sub(4) nanocubes constructed by nanoparticles

Versatile Co sub(3)O sub(4) nanocubes made up of abundant nanoparticles with a mean size of similar to 25 nm were reported here. A precursor with a cubic shape was firstly prepared by a simple solvothermal process; and then porous Co sub(3)O sub(4) nanocubes were obtained through calcining the cubic precursor. The as-obtained products were characterized by X-ray powder diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and (high resolution) transmission electron microscopy. Experiments showed that the as-obtained porous Co sub(3)O sub(4) nanocubes presented good electrochemical property in 0.1 mol L super(-1) KOH solution and could be used as an electrochemical sensor for the detection of glucose. The corresponding detection limit was calculated to be 0.77 mu M. Also, the as-obtained Co sub(3)O sub(4) nanocubes owned excellent photocatalytic activity. Under the irradiation of 365 nm UV light, 97.8% Pyronine B and 98.2% Safranine T were degraded within 3 h. Moreover, the as-obtained product still exhibited an outstanding catalytic ability for the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP). Before and after the addition of 2 wt% Co sub(3)O sub(4), the decomposition temperature of AP decreased from 478 degree C to 275 degree C. The above facts indicated that the as-prepared porous Co sub(3)O sub(4) nanocubes had extensive applications as potential multifunctional catalysts in many fields.