A simple one-pot self-assembly route to nanoporous and monodispersed Fe₃O₄ particles with oriented attachment structure and magnetic property

Nanoporous and monodispersed Fe₃O₄ aggregated spheres with high surface area and oriented attachment structure have been successfully prepared by a polyol reduction process. The structure and morphology of the Fe₃O₄ particles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and N ₂ adsorption-desorption technique. The spherical aggregates are formed by the assembling among the Fe₃O₄ primary nanoparticles (5 nm), and the average size of the spherical particles is around 100 nm. The nanopores are less than 3 nm in the aggregated spheres. Besides, the magnetic properties of these nanoporous particles are also investigated and the magnetization saturation value is about 42.8 emu/g.