Controlled synthesis and characterization of layered manganese oxide nanostructures with different morphologies

Layered manganese oxide nanostructures with different morphologies, such as nanowire bundles, cotton agglomerates, and platelikes were successfully fabricated by a simple and template-free hydrothermal method based on a reaction of KMnO4 and KOH solutions with different concentrations. The obtained nanowire bundles were assembled by nanowires with diameters of 10 to 200 nm and lengths up to 5-10 mu m. The cotton agglomerates were composed of manganese oxide layers with a thickness of about 10 nm. Both the concentration of KOH solutions and the reaction temperature played an important role in the formation of layered manganese oxide nanostructures with different morphologies. XRD, SEM, TEM, HRTEM, SAED, TG-DTA, and chemical analysis were employed to characterize these materials. On the basis of the experimental results, a possible formation mechanism of layered manganese oxide nanostructures with different morphologies was presented.