Preparation of colloidal cobalt dispersions by the polymer-catalyzed decomposition of cobalt carbonyl and cobalt organocarbonyl compounds

摘要

There is disclosed a method for the preparation of a homogeneous physically stable colloidal elemental cobalt dispersion of colloidal cobalt particles having a size in the range of from about 10 Angstrom units to about 200 Angstrom units. The method comprises preparing a solution of a passive polymer in an inert solvent, and incrementally adding thereto a cobalt precursor, at a temperature at which the cobalt precursor will lose at least one ligand and become bound to the passive polymer and thermally decompose to produce elemental cobalt particles, the process being carried out in an inert atmosphere. Such dispersions may be used per se as catalysts, or may be used for the preparation of supported colloidal cobalt catalysts. The dispersions may also be used for the preparation of ablative optical recording media.