Selective synthesis and novel properties of single crystalline α-CoMoO4 nanorods/nanowhiskers

The selective controlled syntheses of crystalline CoMoO₄ nanorods (rod-CoMoO₄)/nanowhiskers (whiskers-CoMoO₄) by using reverse micelles in different molar ratios (w) of [H₂O]/[CTAB] under mild hydrothermal conditions are reported for the first time. The obtained rod-CoMoO₄/whiskers-CoMoO₄ have a monoclinic structure (α-CoMoO₄), with diameter range from 10 to 80 nm and their lengths range from several tens of nanometers to 1 μm. The synthesis conditions and formation mechanism of the nanorods/nanowhiskers were discussed. The electrochemistry behaviors of Co²⁺ and CoMoO₄ in nanoscale and in macroscale are compared, from which an interesting result is obtained. Furthermore, the efficient antibacterial property of the nanorods against Escherichia coli (E. coli) was first found.