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Scaling down to nanosize leads to structural and morphological reorientation of materials. Synthesis route plays a vital role in the modified characteristics of the material, be it physical or chemical. Morphological alteration becomes advantageous for materials which find application as catalysts, battery materials and sensors. Transition metal oxides especially spinel cobalt oxide is widely used as active materials for Li ion batteries, gas sensors and catalyst in many industrial reactions where surface morphology matters a lot. Substitution of Co ion with a similar one such as Zn results in modified surface morphology with less varied basic structure. Here the surface smoothening gradually increases with increase in the concentration incorporated Zn ion with less varied phase purity though a cost-effective chemical precipitation method. Blue shifted optical absorption also indicates the presence of Zn ion inhibits the growth of cobalt oxide nanoparticles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]