Synthesis of nanosized iron(III) oxide and study of its formation features

Nanosized iron(III) oxide has been obtained by thermolysis of iron(III) acetylacetonate using diphenyl ether as a dispersion medium. It has been shown that increase in thermolysis temperature from 180 to 250°C allows one to half the average size of Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles. The introduction of surfactant into dispersion medium also leads to decrease of the average size of particles down to 4 nm. The phase composition of the prepared nano-Fe₂O₃ has been established, the possibility to reduce nano-Fe₂O₃ into iron metal has been shown by temperature-programmed reduction