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The role of growth directors in controlling the morphology of hematite nanorods
DOI:
10.1186/s11671-020-03387-w
Authors:
Christopher J.
Allender
(CMD Ltd)
,
Jenna L.
Bowen
(CMD Ltd; Cardiff University)
,
Veronica
Celorrio
(Diamond Light Source)
,
Josh A.
Davies-jones
(Cardiff University)
,
Philip R.
Davies
(Cardiff University)
,
Shaoliang
Guan
(Cardiff University)
,
Padraic
O’reilly
(Molecular Vista)
,
Meenakshisundaram
Sankar
(Cardiff University)
Co-authored by industrial partner:
No
Type:
Journal Paper
Journal:
Nanoscale Research Letters
, VOL 15
State:
Published (Approved)
Published:
August 2020
Diamond Proposal Number(s):
15151

Abstract: The control of the growth of hematite nanoparticles from iron chloride solutions under hydrothermal conditions in the presence of two different structure promoters has been studied using a range of both structural and spectroscopic techniques including the first report of photo induced force microscopy (PiFM) to map the topographic distribution of the structure-directing agents on the developing nanoparticles. We show that the shape of the nanoparticles can be controlled using the concentration of phosphate ions up to a limit determined to be ~6 × 10−3 mol. Akaganéite (β-FeOOH) is a major component of the nanoparticles formed in the absence of structure directors but only present in the very early stages (< 8 h) of particle growth when phosphate is present. The PiFM data suggest a correlation between the areas in which phosphate ions are adsorbed and areas where akaganéite persists on the surface. In contrast, goethite (α-FeOOH) is a directly observed precursor of the hematite nanorods when 1,2-diamino propane is present. The PiFM data shows goethite in the center of the developing particles consistent with a mechanism in which the iron hydroxide re-dissolves and precipitates at the nanorod ends as hematite.
Subject Areas:
Chemistry
Instruments:
B18-Core EXAFS
Documents:
s11671-020-03387-w.pdf