Synthesis of polycrystalline Co3O4 nanowires with excellent ammonium perchlorate catalytic decomposition property

Co3O4 nanowires, with the length of tens of micrometers and the width of several hundred nanometers, were produced by a hydrothermal treatment and a post-anneal process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) result showed that the Co3O4 nanowires belong to cubic crystal system. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) analysis indicated that the Co3O4 nanowires, composed by single crystalline nanoparticles, were of polycrystalline nature. On the basis of time-dependent experiments, methanamide-assisted hydrolysis and subsequent dissolution–recrystallization process were used to explain the precursorsʹ formation process of the polycrystalline Co3O4 nanowires. The TGA experiments showed that the as-obtained Co3O4 nanowires can catalyze the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) effectively.