Cobalt particles wrapped in graphitic carbon prepared by an arc discharge method

Abstract

Fine particles of cobalt and cobalt carbide nesting in multilayered graphitic sheets, which were synthesized by an electric arc discharge of carbon rods containing cobalt oxide (CoO), were studied by transmission electron microscopy, including microdiffraction and energy dispersive x-ray analysis. The size of the wrapped particles was typically in a range from 50 to 200 nm. Three phases of nested materials, hcp(α)-Co, fcc(β)-Co, and Co3C, were identified.