Synthesis of three-dimensional hierarchical cobalt hydroxide microstructures.

α-Co(OH)₂ with three-dimensional (3-D) structures was prepared by a simple hydrothermal method. It was found that the amount of cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB), the pH value, and the reaction time all had an important influence on the formation of this morphology. The products were characterized by X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray analysis, and scanning electron microscopy. A possible mechanism of the formation of the 3-D microstructures of β-Co(OH)₂ was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]