Revisiting the Decomposition Process of Tetrahydrate Co(II) Acetate: A Sample’s Journey through Temperature

Cobalt oxides, CoO and Co3O4, were obtained from Co (II) acetate tetrahydrate. The thermal decomposition pathway of the starting product was followed by combining thermogravimetric analysis and in situ X-ray thermodiffraction. Under a nitrogen atmosphere, cobalt monoxide with Zn-blende and rocksalt polymorphs could be obtained almost as single phases at 330 and 400 °C, respectively. In addition to these oxides, a Co (II) oxyacetate, Co3O(CH3COO)4, was stabilized as an intermediate phase. Under an air atmosphere, Co3O4 (spinel structure type) was obtained as the only final product. The involved phases in this thermal decomposition process were characterized with scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM and TEM, respectively).