Preparation of Cobalt Oxide Nanofibers by Electrospinning and Their Application for Electro-Catalysis of Ethylene Glycol Oxidation

In this work, cobalt acetate/polyvinyl alcohol (Co (OAc)2/PVA) nanofibers were prepared by the electrospinning method. In the following, cobalt oxide nanofibers (CoxOy NFs) were obtained by appropriate thermal treatment. The surface morphology and diameter of the synthesized nanofibers were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The results showed that long fibers with an average diameter of around 50 nm were obtained for CoxOy NFs. By ThermoGravimetric Analysis (TGA), the appropriate temperature for calcination was obtained at about 600 °C. The Fourier Transform-InfraRed (FT-IR) spectroscopy showed that all the organic constituents of the electrospun nanofibers were removed after calcination. For the investigation of the crystallinity of the metal oxide nanofibers, X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) was used. The crystalline phase of CoxOy nanofibers was determined as cubic. By using adsorption-desorption isotherms, the surface area of the nanofibers was obtained at about 4.4 m2/g The electrochemical behavior of CoxOy NFs modified carbon paste electrode (CoxOy/CPE) was studied by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and chronoamperometry methods. The electrocatalytic activity of the modified electrode was studied towards oxidation of ethylene glycol (EG) in an alkaline medium. The obtained results showed that the CoxOy NFs/CPE has electrocatalytic ability towards the EG oxidation.