Unconventional morphologies of CoO nanocrystals via controlled oxidation of cobalt oleate precursors

We report an ‘oxidation state’ regulating method for the synthesis of anisotropic wurtzite CoO nanocrytals (NCs) with various shapes, including ultrathin nanosheets and a core-antenna structure for the first time. We show that the decomposition process of precursors was altered by their oxidation, which played a significant role in the unconventional growth.