Issue 25, 2013

An improved Stöber method towards uniform and monodisperse Fe3O4@C nanospheres

Abstract

Significant progress has recently been made in the synthesis of Fe3O4@C nanospheres with uniform, monodisperse and tunable carbon shells. Fe3O4@C nanospheres were obtained by directly carbonizing Fe3O4@polymer which was synthesized by a versatile and economical Stöber method with resorcinol and formaldehyde as precursors. The synthesis conditions in the formation of Fe3O4@polymer were systematically investigated. It was found that the yield of the Fe3O4@polymer is highly influenced by the concentration of ammonium hydroxide, and the monodispersity is mainly affected by the concentration of ammonium hydroxide and the citrate group sites outside the surfaces of the Fe3O4 nanospheres. Interestingly, carbonization of Fe3O4@polymer at high temperature makes the grain sizes of Fe3O4 in Fe3O4@C samples larger than those in the Fe3O4 sample, which makes the saturation magnetization value for the Fe3O4@C samples higher than those of common obtained materials. The adsorption performance of Fe3O4@C for anthracene was tested both in water and in cyclohexane solution; it shows fast adsorption rates (about 1 h to reach equilibrium in water and 3 h in cyclohexane solution) and high adsorption capacities (31.5 mg g−1 in water and 2 mg g−1 in cyclohexane solution), which are ascribed to its high uniformity and monodispersity. These make Fe3O4@C an ideal adsorption and enrichment material, especially for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water and in organic solvents.

Graphical abstract: An improved Stöber method towards uniform and monodisperse Fe3O4@C nanospheres

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
28 Mar 2013
Accepted
10 Apr 2013
First published
11 Apr 2013

J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013,1, 7488-7493

An improved Stöber method towards uniform and monodisperse Fe3O4@C nanospheres

X. Zhang, H. Tong, S. Liu, G. Yong and Y. Guan, J. Mater. Chem. A, 2013, 1, 7488 DOI: 10.1039/C3TA11249G

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