Facile synthesis of magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles via precipitation method at different reaction temperatures

The nano-scale magnetite iron oxide particles have been synthesised by a facile precipitation method. Magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesised in a bath with electrolytes composed of 0.10 M of iron (II) chloride with 0.45 M of sodium hydroxide at different reaction temperatures under oxidising environment. In the present study, the influence of reaction temperatures (30, 45 and 80 degrees C) on the morphology, particle size and crystallinity of the iron oxide particles were investigated in detail. Based on the Malvern Zetasizer analysis, the iron oxide particles with variable size from similar to 250 to similar to 70 nm could be achieved when increasing the reaction temperature up to 80 degrees C. The magnetite phase of iron oxide particles was determined by using X-ray diffraction analysis. In addition, field emission scanning electron microscopy micrographs were further affirmed that our synthesised iron oxide particles were in nano-scale with a spherical shape. It was found that the high reaction temperature is helpful in controlling the formation of uniform magnetite iron oxide nanoparticles.