Self-assembly of Fe3O4 nanocrystal-clusters into cauliflower-like architectures: Synthesis and characterization

Large-scale cauliflower-like Fe3O4 architectures consist of well-assembled magnetite nanocrystal clusters have been synthesized by a simple solvothermal process. The as-synthesized Fe3O4 samples were characterized by XRD, XPS, FT-IR, SEM, TEM, etc. The results show that the samples exhibit cauliflower-like hierarchical microstructures. The influences of synthesis parameters on the morphology of the samples were experimentally investigated. Magnetic properties of the Fe3O4 cauliflower-like hierarchical microstructures have been detected by VSM at room temperature, showing a relatively low saturation magnetization of 65 emu/g and an enhanced coercive force of 247 Oe.

Graphical AbstractCauliflower-like Fe3O4 architectures consist of well-assembled magnetite nanocrystal clusters have been synthesized by a simple solvothermal process, using FeCl3·6H2O and EDA as the starting materials.Figure optionsDownload as PowerPoint slideHighlights
► Cauliflower-like Fe3O4 architectures were successfully prepared by a simple solvothermal route.
► The cauliflower-like Fe3O4 architectures have a size in the range of 200–300 nm.
► They show a low saturation magnetization of 65 emu/g and an enhanced coercive force of 247 Oe.
► These Fe3O4 architectures may have potential applications in catalysis and biological fields.