Rapid Microwave Method to Enhance the Characteristics of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/SiO2 Nanoparticles

Abstract

The application of nanoparticles can increase the number of products and protect against the deadly effects of industrial processes. Generally, nanoparticle technology offers numerous benefits, including reduced energy consumption and waste generation. Therefore, this study aimed to prepare Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/SiO2 nanoparticles using rapid microwave method. The instruments used for analysis included x-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), scanning electron microscopy-dispersive x-ray (SEM-EDX), and ultraviolet-visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (UV-DRS). The combustion process was carried out using a microwave to produce sufficient energy for forming Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The homogeneous heating distribution process in the raw material effectively formed different initial phases and nanoparticle morphologies within a few minutes. The results showed that the application of rapid and efficient microwave provided good monodispersity, uniform core-shell structure, and high magnetization. The calculated optical bandgap values for Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/SiO2 ranged from 1.77–2.33 eV. According to magnetic analysis, Fe3O4 nanoparticles showed superparamagnetic behavior at room temperature with a value of 32–40 emu/g, while Fe3O4/SiO2 powder had 9–23 emu/g. The analysis of SEM-EDX showed that SiO2 had the potential to prevent particle aggregation and stabilize the nanoparticles prepared. Moreover, further study is recommended to modify the product with other materials, such as TiO2, for photocatalysts.