A facile precursor calcination approach to iron oxide micro/nanostructures with a high magnetization.

Fe-ethylene glycol (Fe-EG) complex was synthesized using a facile and surfactant-free solvothermal method, and was characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (SEM), bright field transmission electron microscopy(TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained Fe-EG complex was an excellent candidate for synthesis of various iron oxides micro/nanostructures by a simple calcination approach. In an air atmosphere, γ-Fe 2 O 3 , γ-Fe 2 O 3 /α-Fe 2 O 3 nanocomposites, and α-Fe 2 O 3 micro/nanostructures were successfully prepared by controlling the calcination temperature. Fe 3 O 4 micro/nanostructures were also synthesized by calcination the Fe-EG complex under an argon atmosphere. The magnetic properties of the obtained series of iron oxides micro/nanostructures were studied, and the saturation magnetisation of the obtained γ-Fe 2 O 3 and Fe 3 O 4 were 65.91 and 100.20 emu g −1 , respectively. The results of the work put forward a simple and effective approach for the synthesis of iron oxides micro/nanostructures with controlled chemical composition and good magnetic properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]