Nanorods of manganese oxalate: A single source precursor to different manganese oxide nanoparticles (MnO, Mn₂O₃, Mn ₃O₄)

Nanorods of anhydrous manganese oxalate were prepared by the reverse-micellar method using CTAB as the surfactant. Manganese oxalate precursor was used to synthesize single phase nanoparticles of various manganese oxides such as MnO, Mn₂O₃ and Mn₃O₄ under specific reaction conditions. Both MnO (28 nm) and α-Mn ₂O₃ (50 nm) are stabilized as cubic phase, α-Mn ₂O₃ shows a weak antiferromagnetic transition (T _N = 80 K), while the spinel Mn₃O₄ (100 nm) particles show a ferrimagnetic transition at 43 K.