Facile synthesis of tremelliform Co0.85Se nanosheets: An efficient catalyst for the decomposition of hydrazine hydrate

Abstract Tremelliform Co 0.85 Se nanosheets have been successfully synthesized through a hydrothermal reaction of Co(NO 3 ) 2 ·6H 2 O, Na 2 SeO 3 and N 2 H 4 ·H 2 O without using any surfactant or structure-directing agents. The hydrothermal reaction products were confirmed as pure phase of Co 0.85 Se. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) characterizations further showed that the obtained products were flexible tremelliform nanosheets, which were composed of the slices with thickness of ca. 10 nm. Additionally, detailed investigation indicated that the formation of the tremelliform Co 0.85 Se nanosheets was strongly dependent on the reaction temperature, reaction time and reactant ratios. The obtained tremeliform Co 0.85 Se nanosheets displayed ferromagnetic properties at room temperature according to the magnetic measurement. More interesting, the as-prepared Co 0.85 Se nanosheets showed efficient catalytic performance for decomposition of hydrazine hydrate at room temperature. In addition, the stability and reversibility of Co 0.85 Se nanosheets as catalysts are also excellent, indicating that these nanomaterials can be used as long term catalysts in wastewater treatment.