Cobalt(II,III) oxide is an
inorganic compound 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 betwe ...
Co
3O
4. It is one of two well characterized
cobalt oxides. It is a black
antiferromagnetic solid. As a
mixed valence compound, 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 lattice of
oxide anions.
Synthesis
Cobalt(II) oxide, 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 ...
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 (quenchin ...
, 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.
Safety
Cobalt compounds are potentially poisonous in large amounts.
MSDS
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See also
* Cobalt(II) oxide
*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 cobalt ...
References
{{oxygen compounds
Cobalt compounds
Mixed valence compounds
Transition metal oxides