title: Chemical approach to a new crystal structure: phase control of manganese oxide on a carbon sphere template.
abstract: The stabilization and growth of a non-native structure, hexagonal wurtzite MnO (h-MnO), is explored via kinetic control of manganese precursor on a carbon sphere template. MnO is most stable in the cubic rock-salt structure (c-MnO), and a number of studies have focused on the synthesis and properties of this rock-salt phase. However, h-MnO has not been fully characterized before our work. Prolonged heating at a relatively low temperature yields c-MnO, whereas rapid heating of the reaction mixture at reflux produces h-MnO in the presence of carbon spheres. The effect of benzyl amine concentration on the formation of two different oxidation states (c-MnO and t-Mn3O4) was examined as well. Moreover, the structural stability of the manganese oxides and phase transition of MnO in terms of the wurtzite to rock-salt structural transformation have been investigated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Mokpo National University, Muan-gun, Jeonnam 534-729 (Korea). namkimin.kaist@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ki Min
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.forename: Joon T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Park
keywords: carbon; manganese oxide; phase transition; solid-state structures; template synthesis