Controlled synthesis of Fe3O4 nanosheets via one-step pyrolysis of EDTA ferric sodium salt

We present a facile one-step approach to large-scale production of single-crystal magnetite Fe3O4 nanosheets (NSs) employing a solid-state thermal decomposition route without the assistance of any template, carrier gas, and other additions. Single-crystal Fe3O4 NSs with average edge length in the range of 80–100 nm and thickness of about 30 nm were synthesized on a large scale via direct pyrolysis of inorganic–organic hybrid EDTA ferric sodium salt in a one-end closed and horizontal quartz tube furnace in the air. A series of techniques, including XRD, IR, TEM, HRTEM, and TGA, were used to characterize the final products. The HRTEM image obtained from a typical individual nanosheet displays a highly symmetrical lattice, which reveals the single-crystalline nature of the obtained Fe3O4 NSs. Furthermore, a possible formation mechanism from EDTA ferric sodium salt to Fe3O4 was also discussed. All the obtained Fe3O4 NSs are ferromagnetic at room temperature. This method is simple and facile and could synthesize other metal oxides under such experimental conditions.