Preparation and characterization of Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>composite particles

Using Fe₃O₄ nano-particles as seeds, a new type of Fe₃O₄/Au composite particles with core/shell structure and diameter of about 170 nm was prepared by reduction of Au³⁺ with hydroxylamine in an aqueous solution. Particle size analyzer and transmission electron microscope were used to analyze the size distribution and microstructure of the particles in different conditions. The result showed that the magnetically responsive property and suspension stability of Fe₃O₄ seeds as well as reduction conditions of Au³⁺to Au⁰are the main factors which are crucial for obtaining a colloid of the Fe₃O₄/Au composite particles with uniform particle dispersion, excellent stability, homogeneity in particle sizes, and effective response to an external magnet in aqueous suspension solutions. UV-Vis analysis revealed that there is a characteristic peak of Fe₃O₄/Au fluid. For particles with d(0.5)=168 nm, the λmax is 625 nm.     

L-phenyl alanine-attached Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>@SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles as an efficient catalyst for the synthesis of chromenes

In the present paper, L-phenyl alanine has been successfully linked on the surface of magnetic nanoparticles and has been characterized by FT-IR, XRD, SEM, EDS, TGA, and VSM techniques. This new catalyst was employed for one-pot synthesis of chromenes through the reaction of aldehydes, 4-hydroxycoumarin, and 2-hydroxynaphthalene-1,4-dione. Significant features of this method are short reaction time, excellent yields, use of green method, and the use of an effective and novel catalyst that could be recovered and reused several times without loss of its catalytic activity.     

Thermal oxide synthesis and characterization of Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanorods and Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> nanowires

Fe₃O₄ nanorods and Fe₂O₃ nanowires have been synthesized through a simple thermal oxide reaction of Fe with C₂H₂O₄ solution at 200–600°C for 1 h in the air. The morphology and structure of Fe₃O₄ nanorods and Fe₂O₃ nanowires were detected with powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The influence of temperature on the morphology development was experimentally investigated. The results show that the polycrystals Fe₃O₄ nanorods with cubic structure and the average diameter of 0.5–0.8 μm grow after reaction at 200–500°C for 1 h in the air. When the temperature was 600°C, the samples completely became Fe₂O₃ nanowires with hexagonal structure. It was found that C₂H₂O₄ molecules had a significant effect on the formation of Fe₃O₄ nanorods. A possible mechanism was also proposed to account for the growth of these Fe₃O₄ nanorods. Supported by the Fund of Weinan Teacher’s University (Grant No. 08YKZ008), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 20573072) and the Doctoral Fund of Ministry of Education of China (Grant No. 20060718010)     

Synthesis and characterization of <Emphasis Type="Italic">N</Emphasis>-hydroxyphthalimide immobilized on SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript>-coated Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles as magnetic catalyst for oxidation of benzyl alcohols and hydrocarbons

In this study, N-hydroxyphthalimide (NHPI) was successfully attached on functionalized SiO₂-coated Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles through amid bond. The sustained nanomagnetite-immobilized NHPI as a new magnetically recoverable catalyst was characterized by FT-IR, XRD, TGA, VSM, TEM and SEM techniques. The prepared catalyst exhibited high selectivity for oxidation of various benzyl alcohols and hydrocarbons in the presence of hydrogen peroxide as oxidant. The catalyst can be readily separated from the reaction mixture using an external magnet and reused several times without significant loss of its catalytic activity.     

Synthesis of novel magnetic sulfur-doped Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles for efficient removal of Pb(II)

In this work, we report the synthesis of magnetic sulfur-doped Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles (Fe₃O₄:S NPs) with a novel simple strategy, which includes low temperature multicomponent mixing and high temperature sintering. The prepared Fe₃O₄:S NPs exhibit a much better adsorption performance towards Pb(II) than bare Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles. FTIR, XPS, and XRD analyses suggested that the removal mechanisms of Pb(II) by Fe₃O₄:S NPs were associated with the process of precipitation (formation of PbS), hydrolysis, and surface adsorption. The kinetic studies showed that the adsorption data were described well by a pseudo second-order kinetic model, and the adsorption isotherms could be presented by Freundlich isotherm model. Moreover, the adsorption was not significantly affected by the coexisting ions, and the adsorbent could be easily separated from water by an external magnetic field after Pb(II) adsorption. Thus, Fe₃O₄:S NPs are supposed to be a good adsorbents for Pb(II) ions in environmental remediation.     

Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/Au composite nano-particles and their optical properties

Fe₃O₄/Au composite particles with core/shell structure were prepared by reduction of Au³⁺ with hydroxylamine in the presence of an excess of Fe₃ O₄ as seeds. The resultant colloids, with an average diameter of less than 100 nm, were obtained; the remaining non-reacted Fe₃O₄ seeds can be removed by treatment with diluted HCl solution. The Fe₃O₄/Au colloids exhibit a characteristic peak of UV-visible spectra, which largely depend on the size of the particle and the suspension medium. The localized surface plasmon resonance peaks red shift and broaden with increased nanoparticle diameter or increased solvent ionic strength. The optical property is very important in the establishment of means for the detection of biomolecules.     

Pd(II) anchored to modified Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles as a new magnetically recoverable catalyst for epoxidation of styrene

A new support for Pd(II) was synthesized via the functionalization of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles with N-(2-aminoethyl)acetamide. PdCl₂ was anchored to the support for obtaining a heterogeneous magnetically recoverable catalyst for Pd(II). High yield and excellent selectivity were obtained for the green epoxidation of styrene derivatives using H₂O₂ as a green oxidant in H₂O as the solvent at 100 °C. Also, the recovered catalyst is applicable for four times without significant decrease in yield.     

One-Pot Synthesis of Novel Amino-Functionalized Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> Hybrid Microspheres for Cu(II) Removal from Aqueous Solutions

In this work, we report the development of novel amino-functionalized Fe₃O₄ hybrid microspheres adsorbent from a facial and one-step solvothermal route by using FeCl₃·6H₂O as a single iron source and 3-aminophenoxy-phthalonitrile as ource of amino groups. During solvothermal process, the nitrile groups of 3-aminophenoxy-phthalonitrile would bond with the Fe₃O₄ through the phthalocyanine cyclization reaction to form the amino-functionalized Fe₃O₄ magnetic nano-material, which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA). From the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation, the resulting monodispersed amino-functionalized Fe₃O₄ hybrid microspheres with the diameters of 180–200 nm were synthesized via the self-assembly process. More importantly, as-prepared Fe₃O₄ nano-materials with abundant amino groups exhibited high separation efficiency when they were used to remove the Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the adsorption isotherms of Fe₃O₄ nano-material for Cu(II) removal fitted the Langmuir isotherm model, in which the calculated maximum adsorption capacity could increase from 5.51 to 16.25 mg g^–1 at room temperature. This work demonstrated that the amino-functionalized Fe₃O₄ magnetic nano-materials were promising as efficient adsorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater in low concentration.     

Comparison of the Solubility of ZnFe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>, Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> and Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> in High Temperature Water

As the solubility is a direct measure of stability, this study compares the solubilities of ZnFe₂O₄, Fe₃O₄ and Fe₂O₃ in high temperature water. Through literature analysis and formula derivation, it is shown that it is reasonable to assume ZnFe₂O₄ and Fe(OH)₃ coexist when ZnFe₂O₄ is dissolved in water. Results indicated that the solubility of ZnFe₂O₄ is much lower than that of Fe₂O₃ or Fe₃O₄. The low solubility of ZnFe₂O₄ indicates that it is more protectively stable as an anticorrosion phase. Moreover, the gap between the solubility of ZnFe₂O₄ and that of Fe₃O₄ or Fe₂O₃ was enlarged with an increase of temperature. This means that ZnFe₂O₄ is more protective at higher temperatures. Further analysis indicated that with the increase of temperature, the solubility of ZnFe₂O₄ changed little while those of Fe₂O₃ or Fe₃O₄ changed a lot. Little change of the solubility of ZnFe₂O₄ with increase of temperature showed that ZnFe₂O₄ is stable. The very low and constant solubility of ZnFe₂O₄ suggests that it is more protective than Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄, especially in water at higher temperature.     

Synthesis and Characterization of the Superparamagnetic Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/Ag Nanocomposites

The study of superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄/Ag nanocomposites have received great research attention due to their wide range of potential applications in biomedicine. In this report, an easy microemulsion reaction was employed to synthesis Fe₃O₄/Ag nanocomposites with self-aggregated branch like nanostructures. The Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were initially prepared and subsequently AgNO₃ was reduced as Ag by chemical reduction method. The results showed that the average size of the Fe₃O₄/Ag nanocomposites were in the range of 10 ± 2 nm. These nanoparticles were self-aggregated as a branch like nanostructure. The optical properties of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles were modified with surface plasmon resonance of Ag nanoparticles. The observed saturation magnetization of superparamagnetic Fe₃O₄/Ag nanocomposites were 40 emu/g.     

Synthesis and characterization of Co<Subscript>0.8</Subscript>Zn<Subscript>0.2</Subscript>Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> nanoparticles

Cobalt zinc ferrite, Co_0.8Zn_0.2Fe₂O₄, nanoparticles have been synthesized via autocatalytic decomposition of the precursor, cobalt zinc ferrous fumarato hydrazinate. The X-ray powder diffraction of the ‘as prepared’ oxide confirms the formation of single phase nanocrystalline cobalt zinc ferrite nanoparticles. The thermal decomposition of the precursor has been studied by isothermal, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis. The precursor has also been characterized by FTIR, and chemical analysis and its chemical composition has been determined as Co_0.8Zn_0.2Fe₂(C₄H₂O₄)₃·6N₂H_4. The Curie temperature of the ‘as-prepared oxide’ was determined by AC susceptibility measurements.     

Synthesis and characterization of magnetically nanoparticles of Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>@APTMS@ZrCp<Subscript>2</Subscript> as a novel and reusable catalyst for convenient reduction of nitro compounds with glycerol

The present paper describes the synthesis of magnetically nanoparticles of zirconocene-modified magnetite, Fe₃O₄@APTMS@ZrCp₂, as a new generation in heterogeneous and reusable type nanocatalysts. The prepared zirconocene nanocomposite was characterized using FT-IR, SEM, XRD, EDX, AGFM, ICP–OES, TGA and BET analyses. The core–shell nanocatalyst exhibited an excellent catalytic activity towards glycerol reduction of various nitro compounds to the corresponding amines. All reactions were carried out in H₂O at room temperature (40–90 min) to afford amines in high to excellent yields. Reusability of the core–shell zirconocene was examined 5 times without significant loss of its catalytic activity.     

Adsorption behavior of <Superscript>99</Superscript>Tc on Fe,Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>3</Subscript> and Fe<Subscript>2</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>

Summary The adsorption of ⁹⁹Tc on the adsorbers Fe, Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄ was studied by batch experiments under aerobic and anoxic conditions. The effects of pH and CO₃^2- concentration of the simulated ground water on the adsorption ratios were also investigated, and the valences of Tc in solution after the adsorption equilibrium were studied by solvent extraction. The adsorption isotherms of TcO₄- on the adsorbers Fe, Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄ were determined. Experimental results have shown that the adsorption ratio of Tc on Fe decreases with the increase of pH in the range of 5-12 and increases with the decrease of the CO₃^2- concentration in the range of 10^-8M-10^-2M. Under aerobic conditions, the adsorption ratios of ⁹⁹Tc on Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄ were not influenced by pH and CO₃^2-concentration. When Fe was used as adsorbent, Tc existed mainly in the form of Tc(IV) after equilibrium and in the form of Tc(VII) when the adsorbent was Fe₂O₃ or Fe₃O₄ under aerobic conditions. The adsorption ratios of Tc on Fe, Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄ decreased with the increase of pH in the range of 5-12 and increased with the decrease of the CO₃^2- concentration in the range of 10^-8M-10^-2M under anoxic conditions. Tc existed mainly in the form of Tc(IV) after equilibrium when Fe, Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄ was the adsorbent under anoxic conditions. The adsorption isotherms of TcO_4- on the adsorbers Fe, Fe₂O₃ and Fe₃O₄ are fairly in agreement with the Freundlich’s equation under both aerobic and anoxic conditions.     

Cis-dioxo-Mo(VI) salophen complex supported on Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>@SiO<Subscript>2</Subscript> nanoparticles as an efficient magnetically separable and reusable nanocatalyst for selective epoxidation of olefins

In this work, paramagnetic Fe₃O₄/SiO₂ nanoparticles were synthesized, characterized and functionalized with dioxo-Mo(VI) tetradentate Schiff base complex and characterized using IR spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and atomic absorption spectroscopy. Catalyst was used for the selective epoxidation of cyclooctene, cyclohexene, styrene, indene, α-pinene, 1-hepten, 1-octene, 1-dodecen and trans-stilbene using tert-butyl hydroperoxide as oxidant in 1,2-dichloroethane. This catalyst is efficient for oxidation of cyclooctene with a 100% selectivity for epoxidation with 100% conversion in 1 h. After the reaction, the magnetic nanocatalyst was easily separated by simply applying an external magnetic field and was used at least five successive times without significant decrease in conversion.

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H<Subscript>3</Subscript>PMo<Subscript>12</Subscript>O<Subscript>40</Subscript> immobilized chitosan/Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript> as a novel efficient,green and recyclable nanocatalyst in the synthesis of pyrano-pyrazole derivatives

A novel nanomagnetic composite heteropolyacid immobilized chitosan/Fe₃O₄ was prepared via a facile one-pot synthetic approach. This magnetically recoverable nanocatalyst, H₃PMo₁₂O₄₀/chitosan/Fe₃O₄ (PMo/chit/Fe₃O₄), was fully characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM and EDX analysis methods. A rapid, efficient and the chemoselective synthesis of different pyrano-pyrazole derivatives was achieved in excellent yields via a one-pot four-component reaction in the presence of catalytic amount of PMo/Chit/Fe₃O₄.     

Synthesis and characterization of novel magnetic Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>/polyurethane foam composite applied to the carrier of immobilized microorganisms for wastewater treatment

The objective of this work was to prepare novel magnetic Fe₃O₄/polyurethane foam (Fe₃O₄/PUF) composites applied to the carriers of immobilized microorganisms for toluene-containing wastewater treatment. The morphology and structure of Fe₃O₄/PUF composite were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform IR spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry, scanning electron microscopy, and magnetic property measurement system. These morphological investigations revealed that Fe₃O₄ nano-particles were well dispersed into the matrix of PUF with nano-scale diameter particles. TG experiments indicated that the initial thermal weight loss temperatures of composite with the content of 2.5 wt% and 7.5% Fe₃O₄ were increased by 7 and 16 °C, compared with pure PUF. The degradation efficiency of toluene with magnetic PUF composite was much higher than that of pure PUF carrier, and the reason why the immobilization of microbial biomass of microorganisms on the magnetic PUF composite was much higher than that of the pure PUF. The prepared magnetic Fe₃O₄/PUF composite offered excellent thermal stability and medium paramagnetic properties. And this composite could not only increase the immobilized biomass of the microorganisms, but also enhance the COD removal efficiency of wastewater.     

Impregnated copper on Fe<Subscript>3</Subscript>O<Subscript>4</Subscript>: an efficient magnetically separable nanocatalyst for rapid and selective acylation of amines

The present paper describes the synthesis of N-arylacetamides through acetylation of arylamines with Ac₂O in the presence of magnetically recyclable Fe₃O₄/Cu NPs. All reactions were carried out efficiently in H₂O within 2–10 min to give the products in 89–95% yields. Selective acetylation of amines versus alcohols was carried out successfully with this acetylating system. In addition, acetylation of amines and phenols was taken place with the same reactivity. Reusability of the nanocatalyst was examined 5 times without significant loss of its catalytic activity.