Formation of cobalt nitrate hydrate, cobalt oxide, and cobalt nanoparticles using laser vaporization controlled condensation

In this paper, we report for the first time the synthesis of cobalt nitrate hexahydrate, cobalt oxide, and cobalt particles formed from a high purity cobalt metal by a novel laser vaporization controlled condensation (LVCC) method under controlled pressures of N₂ and O₂. The metal vapor produced from a cobalt target in the presence of 50% N₂ and 50% O₂ results in the formation of cobalt nitrate. We also explored the possibilities of forming cobalt oxide and cobalt nanoparticles by altering the ratio of N₂ and O₂ present. For example, the synthesis of pure cobalt oxide (CoO) nanoparticles is of importance and challenging since a simple chemical route is complex. We believe that this work will be of significant importance since the present method is promising for the synthesis of metal mono oxides.