Effects of surfactants and synthetic conditions on the sizes and self-assembly of monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles

Monodisperse iron oxide nanoparticles made from the thermal decomposition of iron carbonyl in octyl ether in the presence of oleic and stearic acids have been examined under various reaction conditions. Monodisperse particles with diameters of 3, 5, 10, 16 and 25 nm have been made. Ostwald ripening could be the key reason for making monodisperse nanoparticles with diameters of up to 25 nm, above the largest sizes that have been reported so far for this class of materials. When stearic acid was used as surfactant, the reaction mixtures can reflux at a lower temperature than the reaction using oleic acid, and monodisperse 3 nm Fe₂O₃ particles can be made. By controlling the temperatures during the drop casting, different superstructures and superlattices can be created. The nanoparticles and their assembly have been characterized by transmission electron microscopy, electron diffraction, powder X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoemission spectroscopy.