Cobalt oxide nano-particles were prepared by combustion method using urea as a combustion fuel. The
effects of calcination temperature, 350–1000 ◦C, on the physicochemical, surface and catalytic properties
of the prepared Co3O4 nano-particles were studied. The products were characterized by thermal
analyses (TGA & DTA), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning
electron microscopy (SEM), and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) techniques. Textural features
of the obtained catalysts were investigated using nitrogen adsorption at
−196 ◦C. X-ray diffraction confirmed
that the resulting oxide was pure single-crystalline Co3O4 nano-particles. Transmission electron
microscopy indicating that, the crystallite size of Co3O4 nano-crystals was in the range of 8–34 nm. The
catalytic activities of prepared nano-crystalline Co3O4 catalysts were tested for H2O2 decomposition at
35–50 ◦C temperature range. Experimental results revealed that, the catalytic decomposition of H2O2
decreases with increasing the calcination temperature. This was correlated with the observed particle
size increase accompanying the calcination temperature rise.