Cobalt(II,III) oxide is an
inorganic compound
In chemistry, an inorganic compound is typically a chemical compound that lacks carbon–hydrogen bonds, that is, a compound that is not an organic compound. The study of inorganic compounds is a subfield of chemistry known as '' inorganic chemist ...
with the
formula
In science, a formula is a concise way of expressing information symbolically, as in a mathematical formula or a ''chemical formula''. The informal use of the term ''formula'' in science refers to the general construct of a relationship betwee ...
Co
3O
4. It is one of two well characterized
cobalt oxide Cobalt oxide is a family of chemical compounds consisting of cobalt and oxygen atoms.
Compounds in the cobalt oxide family include:
* Cobalt(II) oxide (cobaltous oxide), CoO
*Cobalt(III) oxide
Cobalt(III) oxide is the inorganic compound with the ...
s. It is a black
antiferromagnetic
In materials that exhibit antiferromagnetism, the magnetic moments of atoms or molecules, usually related to the spins of electrons, align in a regular pattern with neighboring spins (on different sublattices) pointing in opposite directions. ...
solid. As a
mixed valence compound
Mixed valence complexes contain an element which is present in more than one oxidation state. Well-known mixed valence compounds include the Creutz–Taube complex, Prussian blue, and molybdenum blue. Many solids are mixed-valency including ...
, its formula is sometimes written as Co
IICo
III2O
4 and sometimes as CoO•Co
2O
3.
Structure
Co
3O
4 adopts the
normal spinel structure, with Co
2+ ions in tetrahedral interstices and Co
3+ ions in the octahedral interstices of the
cubic close-packed
In geometry, close-packing of equal spheres is a dense arrangement of congruent spheres in an infinite, regular arrangement (or lattice). Carl Friedrich Gauss proved that the highest average density – that is, the greatest fraction of space occu ...
lattice
Lattice may refer to:
Arts and design
* Latticework, an ornamental criss-crossed framework, an arrangement of crossing laths or other thin strips of material
* Lattice (music), an organized grid model of pitch ratios
* Lattice (pastry), an orna ...
of
oxide
An oxide () is a chemical compound that contains at least one oxygen atom and one other element in its chemical formula. "Oxide" itself is the dianion of oxygen, an O2– (molecular) ion. with oxygen in the oxidation state of −2. Most of the E ...
anions.
Synthesis
Cobalt(II) oxide
Cobalt(II) oxide is an inorganic compound that has been described as an olive-green or gray solid. It is used extensively in the ceramics industry as an additive to create blue colored glazes and enamels as well as in the chemical industry for pr ...
, CoO, converts to Co
3O
4 upon heating at around 600–700 °C in air.
Above 900 °C, CoO is stable.
These reaction are described by the following equilibrium:
:2 Co
3O
4 6 CoO + O
2
Applications
Cobalt(II,III) oxide is used as a blue coloring agent for
pottery
Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other ceramic materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. Major types include earthenware, stoneware and por ...
enamel and
glass
Glass is a non-crystalline, often transparent, amorphous solid that has widespread practical, technological, and decorative use in, for example, window panes, tableware, and optics. Glass is most often formed by rapid cooling (quenching) of ...
, as an alternative to cobalt(II) oxide.
[Frank Hamer, Janet Hamer (2004)]
''The Potter's Dictionary of Materials and Techniques''
University of Pennsylvania Press; 437 pp.
Cobalt(II,III) oxide is used as an electrode in some
lithium-ion batteries
A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...
, possibly in the form of
cobalt oxide nanoparticles
In materials and electric battery research, cobalt oxide nanoparticles usually refers to particles of cobalt(II,III) oxide of nanometer size, with various shapes and crystal structures.
Cobalt oxide nanoparticles have potential applications in li ...
.
Safety
Cobalt compounds are potentially poisonous in large amounts.
MSDS
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See also
*Cobalt(II) oxide
Cobalt(II) oxide is an inorganic compound that has been described as an olive-green or gray solid. It is used extensively in the ceramics industry as an additive to create blue colored glazes and enamels as well as in the chemical industry for pr ...
*Cobalt(III) oxide
Cobalt(III) oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula of Co2O3. Although only two oxides of cobalt are well characterized, CoO and Co3O4, procedures claiming to give Co2O3 have been described. Thus treatment of Co(II) salts such as coba ...
References
{{oxygen compounds
Cobalt compounds
Mixed valence compounds
Transition metal oxides