Simply synthesis of Co3O4 nanowire arrays using a solvent-free method

High-density Co3O4 nanowire arrays have been fabricated by a simple, solvent-free synthesis method inside the alumina pores. It has been found that the pore diameter played a key role in the formation of the Co3O4 nanowires. When the same reaction was performed in the narrow pores of the AAO template (<90 nm), a mixture of nanoparticles and short nanorods were obtained. The nanorod consists of a lot of obvious grains, which form grain chains. However, continuous and uniform nanowires could be produced when the larger pores of AAO (>120 nm) were applied. Selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) patterns revealed that the nanowires were single-crystal line. Electrochemical measurements by an electrochemical workstation indicate that the specific capacitance characteristics of the as-prepared Co3O4 nanowires are much higher than that of Co3O4 particles. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.