The effect of iridium(III) ions on the formation of iron oxides in a highly alkaline medium

The effect of the presence of Ir3+ ions on the formation of iron oxides in a highly alkaline precipitation system was investigated using X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), 57Fe Mössbauer and FT-IR spectroscopies, field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Monodispersed lath-like α-FeOOH (goethite) particles precipitated by hydrothermal treatment in a highly alkaline medium with the addition of tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH) were used as reference material. The presence of Ir3+ ions in the precipitation system strongly influenced the phase composition, magnetic, structural and morphological properties of obtained samples. The formation of α-Fe2O3 (hematite) along with α-FeOOH in the first stage of hydrothermal treatment and the transformation of α-FeOOH and α-Fe2O3 to Fe3O4 (magnetite) by a longer hydrothermal treatment was caused by the presence of Ir3+ ions. Ir3+ for Fe3+ substitution in the structure of α-FeOOH brought about changes in unit-cell dimensions, crystallinity, particle size and shape, hyperfine magnetic field and infrared bands positions. Ir3+ for Fe3+ substitution in the structure of α-Fe2O3 led to an increase in the temperature of the Morin transition; Mössbauer spectroscopy showed the presence of α-Fe2O3 in the antiferromagnetically ordered state at 293 K.

► Study of the influence of Ir3+ ions on the precipitation of iron oxides.
► Ir3+ doping in α-FeOOH caused significant changes in the microstructural properties.
► Ir3+ doping in α-Fe2O3 caused an increase in the Morin transition temperature.
► Ir3+ ions caused a phase transformation α-(Fe,Ir)OOH → α-(Fe,Ir)2O3 → Fe3O4 + Ir0.