The study of novel Fe3O4@γ-Fe2O3 core/shell nanomaterials with improved properties

The surface structure of the iron oxide nanoparticles obtained by the co-precipitation method has been investigated, and a thin layer of α-FeOOH absorbed on surface of the nanoparticle is confirmed by analyses of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectra (XPS) and surface photovoltage spectroscopy (SPS). After annealed at 400 °C, the α-FeOOH can be converted to γ-Fe2O3. The simple-annealed procedure resulted in the formation of Fe3O4@γ-Fe2O3 core/shell structure with improved stability and a higher magnetic saturation value, and also the simple method can be used to obtain core/shell structure in other similar system.