Novel method of room temperature ionic liquid assisted Fe3O4 nanocubes and nanoflakes synthesis

• First time [Bmim][TfO] IL is used for the Fe3O4 nanoparticle synthesis.
• Novel method tunes Fe3O4 nanocubes and nanoflakes forms influenced by the base and IL.
• Fe3O4 oxidized topotactically into γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticles by annealing and base.
• Uniform morphology with average size of 33 nm negligible superstructure are formed.
• Ms values are characterized by thin layer of γ-Fe2O3 on the nanoparticle surface.

For the first time, the nanomagnetite superparamagnetic particles are successfully synthesized by precipitation method using 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium trifluoromethane sulfonate [Bmim][TfO] ionic liquid medium/surfactant. The obtained Fe3O4 particles are nanocubes and nanoflakes and this formation is influenced by the base concentration and anisotropic circumstances produced by the ionic liquid and their size varies from 20 nm to 150 × 300 nm (width × length). The synthesized magnetite nanoparticles are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Raman spectroscopy, Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and Vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) studies. The results show that the core of the Fe3O4 nanoparticles is surrounded by a thin layer of γ-Fe2O3 by topotactical partial oxidation, which is remarkably proceed with the subsequent calcination. The magnetite nanocubes have high saturation magnetization value and exhibit superparamagnetic hysteresis loop.

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