A study on synthesis and properties of Fe3O4 nanoparticles by solvothermal method

Magnetic nanoparticles (Fe3O4) were synthesized by the solvothermal method using FeCl3 · 6H2O and ethylene glycol as a reactant. Powder X-ray diffraction, FT-IR, TEM, SEM, and VSM were used to characterize the magnetic particles. The reacting factors, such as reacting time, the concentration of iron source and surfactant, especially the effect of NaAc · 3H2O, were studied. The results indicated that NaAc · 3H2O plays the role not only as a dispersant but also a structure-directing agent. The synthesized Fe3O4 particles showed excellent magnetic property, which made them have potential for application in magnetic nanodevices and biomedicine.