title: Alternative low-cost approach to the synthesis of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles by thermal decomposition of organic precursors.
abstract: A new approach to thermal decomposition of organic iron precursors is reported, which results in a simpler and more economical method to produce well crystallized γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles (NPs) with average sizes within the 3-17 nm range. The NPs were characterized by TEM, SAED, XRD, DLS-QELS, Mössbauer spectroscopy at different temperatures, FT-IR and magnetic measurements. The obtained γ-Fe2O3 NPs are coated with oleic acid and, in a lower quantity, with oleylamine (about 1.5 nm in thickness). It was shown that changing operative variables allows us to tune the average particle diameters and obtain a very narrow or monodisperse distribution of sizes. The γ-Fe2O3 NPs behave superparamagnetically at room temperature and their magnetization saturation is reduced by about 34% in comparison with bulk maghemite. The results indicate that the distance between two neighbour NPs, generated by the coating, of about 3 nm is insufficient to inhibit interparticle magnetic interactions when the average diameter is 8.8 nm. The good quality of the NPs, obtained through the present low-cost and easy-handling process, open a new perspective for future technological applications.
authors.affiliation: CINDECA, CONICET-Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Calle 47 No. 257, La Plata, Argentina.
authors.forename: I O
authors.initials: IO
authors.lastname: Perez De Berti
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Cagnoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pecchi
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Alessandrini
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Bengoa
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Marchetti
mesh_terms: D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D036103:Nanotechnology / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D010316:Particle Size; D017550:Spectroscopy, Fourier Transform Infrared; D015204:Spectroscopy, Mossbauer; D013696:Temperature
chemical_list: D058185:Magnetite Nanoparticles