Porous Co3O4 microcubes: hydrothermal synthesis, catalytic and magnetic properties

Well-defined porous Co3O4 microcubes have been synthesized by a simple one-pot solvothermal method combined with subsequent calcination. The formation mechanism of the cube-like precursor was proposed based on the anisotropic intrinsic structure of CoCO3. Importantly, after thermal treatment, the cube-like morphology could be completely preserved. Moreover, the thermal decomposition of the corresponding precursor led to the formation of porous structure. The effects of calcination temperature on the catalytic properties of Co3O4 samples were investigated and the results demonstrated that 600 degrees C was superior among three samples with the highest catalytic properties. Additionally, as an antiferromagnetic material, the sample showed a certain degree of ferromagnetism under the external magnetic field.