Tuning of morphological, structural and optical properties of α-Fe2O3 nanoparticles by precursor concentration

الملخص EN

The current study focuses on a dual aim of developing an easy method to synthesise monodisperse hematite iron oxide (tt-Fe2O3) nanoparticles and controlling their optical, structural and morphological properties.

B_y using a low-cost and eco-friendly room temperature sonication method, a series of iron oxide nanoparticles were prepared on a nano scale, with fine sizes ranging from 4—10 nm.

Optical, structural and morphological properties were precisely modified by varying the concentration of the solution of iron chloride (0.01 M, 0.02 M and 0.05 M).

X-ray diffraction and Raman spectra revealed that the prepared nanoparticles had a high crystallinity, confirming that they were hematite.

The nanoparticles' crystallite sizes increased from 6 to 10 nm with solution molarity.

The optical measurements showed that the band gap energy of (X-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (annealed) decreased from 2.67 eV to 2.46 eV with the increasing of solution molarity from 0.01 M to 0.05 M, respectively.

Results of field emission scanning electron microscopy demonstrated that the (X-Fe2O3 nanoparticles appeared as spherical dots, and their sizes increased from 6 to 10 nm with the concentration of the solution.

The presented green synthesis might be useful in controlling the functional properties of magnetic nanostructures for a variety of applications.