Fabrication and characterization of Ca^sub 3^Co^sub 4^O^sub 9^ nanoparticles by sol-gel method

• Published in: Rare metals 2011-03, Vol.30, p.111
• Main Authors: Qi, Xiaoling, Fan, Youyu, Zhu, Dongsheng, Zeng, Lingke
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 1001-0521; 1867-7185
• DOI: 10.1007/s12598-011-0250-4

Ca^sub 3^Co^sub 4^O^sub 9^ nanoparticles were fabricated by using calcium nitrate and cobalt nitrate as raw materials and citric acid as complexing agent through a citrate sol-gel method. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) 1000 was added as dispersing agent with different mass ratios. Pyrolytic decomposition of the dried gel and generative process of Ca^sub 3^Co^sub 4^O^sub 9^ were investigated by TG-DSC, XRD. The microstructures of the particles were characterized by SEM and TEM. Ca^sub 3^Co^sub 4^O^sub 9^ particles contained plate-shaped grains with layered structure. No second phases were found in the samples which were heated in the calcined temperature range of 750-900 °C for 4 h in air. The average size of the Ca^sub 3^Co^sub 4^O^sub 9^ particles prepared with 3% PEG 1000 calcined at 800 °C for 4 h is 30-70 nm.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]