Hydrothermal Synthesis and Formation Mechanism of Micrometer-sized MoO2 Hollow Spheres

Micrometer-sized MoO2 hollow spheres were synthesized hydrothermally with ammonium heptamolybdate tetrahydrate as molybdenum source, Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as structure-directing agent and C2H5OH as reducing agent, respectively. The products were investigated by X-ray diffraction, thermo- gravimetry and differential thermal analysis, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. A morphology transition of "blocks-solid spheres-hollow spheres" during the growth process was observed and the possible mechanism for the formation of MoO2 samples was proposed to be through a microscale Kirkendall effect.