Facile synthesis and catalytic properties of single crystalline β-MnO2 nanorods

Single-crystalline beta-MnO2 nanorods were successfully synthesized through facile reflux treatment of KMnO4 and MnSO4 in HNO3 solution. TEM and SEM images show that the synthesized beta-MnO2 nanorods exhibited diameters of 20-50 nm, and lengths that ranged from approximately 0.5 to 2.0 mu m with decreasing HNO3 concentrations from 0.8 to 0.1 mol/L The beta-MnO2 nanorods underwent three primary evolutionary stages over time. They exhibited excellent catalytic properties for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) by a Fenton-like reaction. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.