Ultrafast and continuous synthesis of crystalline ferrite nanoparticles in supercritical ethanol

Nanoscale. 2013 Mar 7;5(5):2126-32. doi: 10.1039/c3nr33501a. Epub 2013 Feb 5.

Abstract

Magnetic nanoparticles (NPs) are of increasing interest in various industrially relevant products. For these, the development of greener and faster approaches facilitating scaling-up production is of paramount importance. Here, we report a novel, green and potentially scalable approach for the continuous and ultrafast (90 s) synthesis of superparamagnetic ferrite NPs (MnFe(2)O(4), Fe(3)O(4)) in supercritical ethanol (scEtOH) at a fairly moderate temperature (260 °C). ScEtOH exhibits numerous advantages such as its production from bio-resources, its lack of toxicity and its relatively low supercritical coordinates (p(c) = 6.39 MPa and T(c) = 243 °C), being therefore appropriate for the development of sustainable technologies. The present study is completed by the investigation of both in situ and ex situ NP surface functionalization. The as-obtained nanoparticles present good crystallinity, sizes below 8 nm, superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature and high saturation magnetization. Moreover, depending on the capping strategy, the ferrite NPs present extended (for in situ coated NPs) or short-term (for ex situ coated NPs) colloidal stability.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Crystallization
  • Ethanol / chemistry*
  • Ferric Compounds / chemistry*
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Surface-Active Agents / chemistry
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Ferric Compounds
  • Magnetite Nanoparticles
  • Surface-Active Agents
  • ferrite
  • Ethanol