Tailoring the structure and properties of iron oxide nanoparticles through the oxygen species of borate glass matrix

Abstract

The synergistic combination of semiconductor properties and glass polymeric structure is crucial for engineering practical nanomaterials with properties superior to those of the individual components. Herein, the structure of iron borate glass-ceramic and the evolution of haematite (α–Fe2O3) and magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles have been investigated. The effect of borate matrix on the physical properties of these nanoparticles, as well as the microstructure of the resulted glass-ceramic matrix, has been studied. The band gaps of these nanoparticles were reduced due to contribution of the dangling oxygen atoms found in B2O3 matrix, such as BO4̅ and NBOs units, to the maximum valence bands. Furthermore, B2O3 plays an important role in dispersing the α–Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 nanoparticles and retaining their magnetic behaviour, since the average size of these nanoparticles is smaller than the critical diameter of a single domain size.