Department of Chemistry, Dongguk University-Seoul, 100-715, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Nanotechnology. 2012 Dec 21;23(50):505401. doi: 10.1088/0957-4484/23/50/505401. Epub 2012 Nov 27.
Controlling the bulk and surface structure of metal oxide nanostructures is crucial to obtain superior electronic and electrochemical properties. However, the synthetic or post-treatment techniques for preparing such structures, especially those with complex configurations, still remains a challenge. Herein, we report a completely novel approach-an amorphous carbon coating on the surface coupled with a controlled metal oxidation state in the bulk-via a simple glucose treatment. The bulk and surface structures of iron oxides are controlled by the carbothermal reaction associated with the decomposition of glucose. These novel configurations of iron oxides possess an amorphous carbon layer and ferrous state with high electronic conductivity, which definitely enhances their electrochemical properties compared to pristine iron oxides. Our findings provide an effective solution for the synthesis of complex metal oxide nanostructures, which can pave the way to further expand the electronic or electrochemical applications of metal oxides.
控制金属氧化物纳米结构的体相和表面结构对于获得优异的电子和电化学性能至关重要。然而，制备这种结构的合成或后处理技术，特别是那些具有复杂构型的技术，仍然是一个挑战。在此，我们报告了一种全新的方法——通过简单的葡萄糖处理，在表面形成非晶碳涂层，并控制体相中的金属氧化态。铁氧化物的体相和表面结构是通过与葡萄糖分解相关的碳热反应来控制的。这些新型铁氧化物具有非晶碳层和高导电性的二价铁状态，这肯定会比原始铁氧化物提高其电化学性能。我们的研究结果为复杂金属氧化物纳米结构的合成提供了有效的解决方案，为进一步拓展金属氧化物的电子或电化学应用铺平了道路。
