Synthesis, structural, optical and morphological characterization of hematite through the precipitation method: Effect of varying the nature of the base
Résumé
Iron oxide (a-Fe2O3) nanoparticles were synthesized using the precipitation synthesis method focusing
only on (FeCl3, 6H2O), NaOH, KOH and NH4OH as raw materials. The impact of varying the nature of the
base on the crystalline phase, size and morphology of a-Fe2O3 products was explored. XRD spectra
revealed that samples crystallize in the rhombohedral (hexagonal) system at 800 C.The Transmission
Electron Microscopy (TEM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to detect the
morphology of synthesized nanoparticles and specify their sizes.
However, the Fourier Transform Infra-Red (FT-IR) spectroscopy has permitted the observation of vibration
band Fe-O. Raman spectroscopy was used not only to prove that we have synthesized hematite
but also to identify their phonon modes. The Thermo Gravimetric Analysis (TGA) findings allow the
thermal cycle determination of samples whereas Differential Thermal Analysis (DTA) findings allow the
phase transition temperature identification. Besides, the optical investigation revealed that samples have
an optical gap of about 2.1 eV. Findings highlight that the nature of the agent precipitant plays a significant
role in the morphology of the products and the formation of the crystalline phase. Hematite
synthesis with the base NH4OH brought about much stronger, sharper and wider diffraction peaks of a-
Fe2O3. The morphology of samples are spherical with a size of about 61 nm while the size of the
nanoparticles of hematite which we have synthesized with NaOH and KOH is respectively of the order of
82 and 79 nm.