Ordered Mesoporous Fe₂O₃ with Crystalline Walls

Abstract

Alpha-Fe(2)O(3) has been synthesized with an ordered mesoporous structure and crystalline walls that exhibit a near-single crystal-like order. The unique magnetic behavior of the material, distinct from bulk nanoparticles of alpha-Fe(2)O(3) or mesoporous Fe(2)O(3) with disordered walls, has been established. Magnetic susceptibility, Mössbauer, and neutron diffraction data show that the material possesses the same long-range magnetic order as bulk alpha-Fe(2)O(3), despite the wall thickness being less than the 8 nm limit below which magnetic ordering breaks down in nanoparticulate alpha-Fe(2)O(3), yet the Morin transition of bulk alpha-Fe(2)O(3) is absent. It is also shown by TEM, PXRD, and EXAFS that alpha-Fe(2)O(3) with the same ordered mesoporous structure but disordered walls contains small crystalline domains. Mössbauer and magnetic susceptibility data demonstrate that this material exhibits no long-range magnetic order but superparamagnetic behavior.