Formation and characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles loaded on self-organized TiO2 nanotubes

The iron oxide nanoparticles were loaded onto self-organized TiO2 nanotube layers grown by anodization of Ti in fluoride containing electrolytes. The nanoparticles were obtained by electrodepositing method in glycerol/water/FeCl3·6H2O electrolytes at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements showed that the nanoparticles consisted of iron nanocrystalline (Fe) and magnetite (Fe3O4). The hematite (α-Fe2O3) structure was obtained by annealing in air at 450 °C. The growth mechanism of the nanoparticles and their morphology were also described. Furthermore, the nanoparticles exhibited good ferromagnetic properties at room temperature.