Study on morphologies of Co microcrystals produced by solvothermal method with different solvents

Cobalt microcrystals with different sizes and morphologies were fabricated via a facile solvothermal method. The effects of different solvents on the sizes and morphologies are investigated separately. Flowerlike cobalt with around tens of microns in diameter is obtained in ethanol. Meanwhile, of microdisks and octadecahedra with the edge lengths about several microns are fabricated in ethylene glycol and glycerol, respectively. Reduction potential and viscosity rank of the solvents play the important roles in controlling the sizes and morphologies of cobalt. Moreover, room-temperature magnetic measurement shows that the magnetic properties of cobalt microcrystals depend on their morphologies. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.