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Abstract

Solvated 2D nanosheets of dodecylsulphate intercalated [small alpha]-cobalt hydroxide in 1-butanol are solvothermally reduced to hexagonal close packed (hcp) Co metal multipods in the presence of oleylamine. 1-Butanol,} being a reducing solvent{,} facilitates the formation of Co metal. In addition to being a reducing agent{,} oleylamine also acts as a base which converts the metastable [small alpha]-cobalt hydroxide nanosheets into [small beta]-hydroxide sheets. These sheets yield face centered cubic (fcc) CoO spheres which eventually grow into hcp Co metal multipods. All the pods are single crystalline with growth direction being [001]{,} making the multipods resemble stellated polyhedra with overgrown branches. The stellated Co metal multipods exhibit high coercivity (Hc){,} of 880 and 552 Oe at 2 K and 300 K respectively{, due to shape anisotropy.