Formation of highly reactive species at the interface Fe°-iron oxides particles by mechanical alloying and thermal treatment:: Potential application in environmental remediation processes

In this work, the formation of highly reactive species at the interface of Fe degrees/iron oxides mixtures, i.e., Fe3O4, gamma-Fe2O3, or alpha-Fe2O3 prepared by mechanical alloying and thermal treatment at 200-800 degrees C was studied. Mossbauer spectroscopic, XRD, SEM, BET, and magnetization measurements suggest a strong interaction between the metal and the oxides producing highly reactive surface species which can readily react with gas phases, i.e., O-2, and with aqueous phase, i.e., H2O2, molecules.