Monodisperse α-Fe2O3 Mesoporous Microspheres: One-Step NaCl-Assisted Microwave-Solvothermal Preparation, Size Control and Photocatalytic Property

TLDR

The synthesis enables adjustable sizing of α‑Fe₂O₃ mesoporous microspheres. The NaCl‑assisted microwave‑solvothermal process uses Fe(NO₃)₃·9H₂O and PVP in H₂O/ethanol to produce monodisperse α‑Fe₂O₃ microspheres through oriented attachment of nanocrystals. The method yields monodisperse α‑Fe₂O₃ mesoporous microspheres (170–260 nm) that exhibit high photocatalytic degradation of salicylic acid. Size range: 170–260 nm.

Abstract

A simple one-step NaCl-assisted microwave-solvothermal method has been developed for the preparation of monodisperse α-Fe2O3 mesoporous microspheres. In this approach, Fe(NO3)3 · 9H2O is used as the iron source, and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) acts as a surfactant in the presence of NaCl in mixed solvents of H2O and ethanol. Under the present experimental conditions, monodisperse α-Fe2O3 mesoporous microspheres can form via oriented attachment of α-Fe2O3 nanocrystals. One of the advantages of this method is that the size of α-Fe2O3 mesoporous microspheres can be adjusted in the range from ca. 170 to ca. 260 nm by changing the experimental parameters. High photocatalytic activities in the degradation of salicylic acid are observed for α-Fe2O3 mesoporous microspheres with different specific surface areas.