As-prepared Fe3O4 Research Articles

Hydrothermal synthesis of Fe3O4/TiO2/g-C3N4: Advanced photocatalytic application

Abstract In the current study a ternary Fe3O4/TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite as a photocatalyst was prepared by a novel, facile and in-situ growth mechanism based on hydrothermal route using melamine, tetrabutyl titanate (TBT) and as-prepared magnetic Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The experimental results indicate the gradual increase in performance based on step-by-step coupling of anatase TiO2 and magnetic Fe3O4 over the g-C3N4 framework at 200 °C calcination temperature. A variety of characterization methods were deployed to explore the morphological, crystalline, vibrational, optical and compositional characteristics of the ternary Fe3O4/TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite. Furthermore, the photocatalytic efficiency of the composite was investigated through the discoloration of Rhodamine B (RhB) and Methylene orange (MO) under visible-light illumination. The as-prepared composite achieved an RhB and MO degradation rate of about 96.4% and 90% in 80 min and 120 min, respectively, under the visible-light. The pseudo-first rate constants for RhB and MO degradation on ternary Fe3O4/TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite were 0.0441 min−1 and 0.0186 min−1, 3.73 and 2.74 times of that for bare g-C3N4. The ternary Fe3O4/TiO2/g-C3N4 nanocomposite revealed good photocatalytic performance after 4 cycles illustrating the high photocatalyst durability, and is very likely advantageous for treating biorecalcitrant pollutants in waste water.

MOF-derived Fe2O3: Phase control and effects of phase composition on gas sensing performance

Recently, the phase composition of a certain metal oxide has been regarded as an important factor that can significantly influence the gas sensing performance. For a better comparison, an appropriate method is necessary to control the phase composition of metal oxides. Herein, three Fe2O3 samples with different phase compositions of α-Fe2O3, γ-Fe2O3 and a mixed phase of α-Fe2O3 and γ-Fe2O3 were prepared by calcining MOF (metal-organic framework) templates at different temperatures. As-prepared Fe2O3 samples have a similar morphologic structure but quite different gas sensing properties for VOCs (volatile organic compounds). Among them, α-Fe2O3 has the smallest specific surface area, but the highest response toward n-butanol. It is indicated that α-Fe2O3 and γ-Fe2O3 have different gas sensing mechanisms. The sensitivity of α-Fe2O3 comes from the concentration change of free carriers within the surface region. Differently, the transformation between γ-Fe2O3 and Fe3O4 determines the response of γ-Fe2O3. The findings can be used in the design of Fe2O3 gas sensing materials in the future.

Fe2O3 nanomaterials derived from Prussian blue with excellent H2S sensing properties

Increasing demands for detection of toxic gases have attracted more and more attention to design and fabricate gas sensors with properties of ppb-level detectable, good selectivity, and long-term stability. In this paper, Prussian blue (PB) was utilized as precursor for preparation of Fe2O3. The morphology of PB was well tuned by different surfactants and synthesis temperatures, and following with calcination at 550 °C transformed them into Fe2O3 without changing the primary morphologies. The gas sensing properties of these as-prepared Fe2O3 materials were systematically tested. At the optimum operation temperature (200 °C), the sensors based on Fe2O3 nanocubes, nanospheres, and nanoflowers can detect H2S at ppb-level with low cross-sensitivity and excellent long-term stability. Experimental results reveal that the nanospheres based sensor have the best sensing performance, which follows the order nanospheres >nanocubes >nanoflowers. The results demonstrate that it is effective to improve the properties of metal oxide based gas sensor through morphology control by metal organic frameworks (MOFs)-templated route.

Fast Removal of Methylene Blue by Fe₃O₄ Magnetic Nanoparticles and Their Cycling Property.

The fast removal of dyes from aqueous solution and the recycling of adsorbents are currently popular topics in the study of adsorbents. Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) are usually applied in the preparation of composite adsorbents as magnetic carriers. Therefore, it is significant if single Fe₃O₄ MNPs can quickly remove dyes from aqueous solution with good cycling stability. Here, we report the preparation of Fe₃O₄ MNPs through an improved co-precipitation method, which has the inherent advantage of fast, inexpensive and without requiring the protection of nitrogen or an inert gas. The as-prepared Fe₃O₄ MNPs were used as an adsorbent to remove of methylene blue (MB) under alkaline condition, and then they were characterized by different measurements. The adsorption process was studied by various parameters, such as solution pH, initial MB concentration and contact time. The adsorption of MB over Fe₃O₄ MNPs reached equilibrium in 5 min, and it was observed to obey the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and Langmuir isotherm with a maximum adsorption capacity of 45.43 mg/g at pH = 12 and T = 298 K. Furthermore, two simple methods for desorption and chemical oxidation were used to the regenerate Fe₃O₄, and it turned out that Fe₃O₄ magnetic nanoparticles were able to maintain a high adsorption capacity (36 mg/g for desorption and 36.9 mg/g for chemical oxidation, respectively) after 4 circulations.

Extremely facile preparation of high-performance Fe2O3 anode for lithium-ion batteries

As the concept of promoting environmental protection and energy conservation becomes more and more popular, reasonably green approaches for preparing high-performance nanostructured Fe2O3 anodes will be well received. Herein, porous Fe2O3 quasi-clusters assembled by smaller secondary nanoparticles have been successfully prepared by direct calcination of commercial ferric citrate in air atmosphere. Comparing with the traditionally hydrothermal methods of preparing various nanostructured Fe2O3, our approach are more facile and green because of no use of various solvents and reagents, and additional time- and power-consuming hydrothermal treatment. More importantly, the as-prepared Fe2O3 quasi-clusters show excellent electrochemical performance, delivering high capacities of 1187.1 and 448.3 mAh g−1 at 200 and 3000 mA g−1 after 350 and even 1500 cycles, respectively. Even comparing with the reported state-of-the-art nanostructural Fe2O3 anodes, the performance of as-prepared Fe2O3 quasi-clusters is competitive and even better. Thus, due to the relatively green and extremely facile preparation process, and excellent electrochemical performance, the as-achieved Fe2O3 quasi-clusters are expected as a promising candidate for advanced anode materials of lithium-ion batteries.

Electrochemical Sensing of Heavy Metal Ions based on Monodisperse Single-crystal Fe3O4 Microspheres

Single-crystal Fe3O4 with monodisperse microspheres structure has been used for individual electrochemical detection of heavy metal ions. Morphology and structure of the as-prepared Fe3O4 microspheres were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Meanwhile the electrochemical properties of the Fe3O4 microspheres modified glass carbon electrodes (GCE) were characterized by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS), and the enhanced electrochemical response in stripping voltammetry for individual detection of Pb(II), Hg(II), Cu(II), and Cd(II) was evaluated using square wave anodic stripping voltammetry (SWASV). With high specific surface area and excellent catalytic activity toward heavy metal ions, the as-prepared monodisperse and single-crystal Fe3O4 microspheres show a preferable sensing sensitivity (22.2 μA/μM) and limit of detection (0.0699 μM) toward Pb(II). Furthermore, the electrochemical sensor of Fe3O4 microspheres exhibits excellent stability and it also offers potential practical applicability for the determination of heavy metal ions in real water samples. This study provides a potential simple and low cost iron oxide for the construction of sensitive electrochemical sensors applied to monitor and control the pollution of toxic metal ions.

A Magnetic Adsorbent for the Removal of Cationic Dyes from Wastewater.

In this article, a study was presented on the adsorption activity of a new nanocomposite particle Fe3O4@1, which was synthesized by combining [Cu(HL)2]2H2[P2Mo5O23]·10H2O (1) (HL = 2-acetylpyridine semicarbazone) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles. Transmission electron microscopy and X-ray powder diffraction analyses revealed that Fe3O4@1 possessed high crystallinity with an average particle size of 19.1 nm. The adsorption activity of the as-prepared Fe3O4@1 was investigated by photometrically monitoring the removal of methylene blue, rhodamine B, safranine T, gentian violet, fuchsin basic, and methyl orange from aqueous solutions. Significantly, we could easily separate Fe3O4@1 from the reaction media by applying an external magnet. Furthermore, the recycling performance was observed using methylene blue, revealing the recyclability and high stability of Fe3O4@1. It was shown that Fe3O4@1 is a promising candidate material for adsorbing cationic dyes in aqueous media.

AB025. The effects and mechanisms of magnetic nanomaterials in prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy

BackgroundTake iron oxides (Fe3O4) nanoclusters for instance, to explore the effects and mechanisms of magnetic nanomaterials in prostate cancer diagnosis and therapy.MethodsFe3O4 nanoclusters (Fe3O4 NCs) were synthesized by using hydrothermal method through iron (III) acetylacetonate. The as-prepared Fe3O4 NCs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray powder diffraction (XRD), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). The T2-weighted image was obtained with a 3.0 T clinical MRI scanner. To establishing PC3-GFP-LC3, a PC3 cell line stably expressing green-fluorescent-protein-tagged microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (GFP-MAP1LC3), and then evaluate the effect of Fe3O4 NCs upon cell proliferation. To use 4 W/cm2 near infrared laser (NIR, 808 nm), the light-thermal conversion of Fe3O4 NCs was assessed. GFP-LC3 punctate dots were observed by an invert microscope and LC3-I/LC3-II conversion was detected by western blotting. Autophagosome formation was observed by TEM. The tumoricidal effects to PC3 were evaluated by cell proliferation assay in vitro and xenograft volume curve in vivo under NIR in the presence or absence of autophagy inhibitors.ResultsThe as-prepared hydrophilic and magnetic Fe3O4 NCs were 100 nm in uniform size. XRD and FTIR analyses showed the NCs possessed the characterized peak and functional motifs, r2 value could reach 143 mM-1S-1, after magnetic targeting, the r2 value could further shorten. Fe3O4 NCs did not affect the cell proliferation at 0–400 µg/mL, indicating the good biocompatibility. Fe3O4 NCs could induce the medium temperature elevated in a time- and dose-dependent manner under 808 nm NIR irradiation. Besides, Fe3O4 NCs could induce complete autophagic flux in PC3 cells, which effect could be inhibited by 3-MA or CQ administration. Under 808 nm NIR, Fe3O4 NCs could elicit 40% cell viability reduction, this reduction could be further enhanced when co-treated with 3-MA or CQ. In vivo study showed that under 808 nm NIR, tumor volume in NS, 3-MA, CQ group increased with prolonged time, while Fe3O4 NCs administration could inhibit the volume increase, when 3-MA or CQ was administrated simultaneously, the tumor volume was sustained with the initial treatments, the body weight of mice in each group did not alter significantly.ConclusionsFe3O4 NCs are safe T2-MRI contrast nano-contrast agents, could enhance the sensitivity of prostate cancer diagnosis. The NCs possess outstanding light-thermal conversion capacity, could induce autophagy in PC3 cells. More importantly, Fe3O4 NCs could further enhance the tumoricidal effects under 808 nm NIR when the autophagiy-inducing effects are inhibited in PC3 cells.

Synthesis of Macroporous Magnetic Fe₃O₄ Microparticles Via a Novel Organic Matter Assisted Open-Cell Hollow Sphere Assembly Method.

Macroporous magnetic Fe3O4 microparticles, which might act as both drug carriers and magnetocaloric media, were expected to have broad application prospects on magnetocaloric-responsively controlled drug release systems. A kind of macroporous magnetic Fe3O4 microparticle was prepared by an organic matter assisted open-cell hollow sphere (hollow sphere with holes on shell) assembly method in this study. 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone (NVP) and 2-acrylamido-2-methyl propane sulfonic acid (AMPS) were selected as the template and the binder, respectively. Ferrous ions were specifically bound to carbonyl groups on NVP and were then reduced by NaBH4. The reduced irons underwent heterogeneous nucleation and grain growth to form Fe0/Fe3O4 microspheres consisting of a lot of nano-Fe0 grains, and were then assembled into Fe0/Fe3O4 microparticles wrapped by AMPS. Results indicate that NVP binding with ferrous ions can promote a self-polymerization process and the formation of Fe0/Fe3O4 microspheres, while AMPS enwrapping around the resultant microspheres can facilitate their assembly into larger aggregates. As a result, macroporous Fe3O4 microparticles composed of several open-cell hollow Fe3O4 microspheres can be obtained under a Kirkendall-controlled oxidation. Moreover, these as-prepared macroporous Fe3O4 microparticles possess a narrow particle size distribution and exhibit ferromagnetism (Ms = 66.14 emu/g, Mr = 6.33 emu/g, and Hc = 105.32 Oe). Our work, described here, would open up a novel synthesis method to assemble macroporous magnetic Fe3O4 microparticles for potential application in magnetocaloric-responsively controlled drug release systems.

Removal of doxorubicin hydrochloride using Fe3O4 nanoparticles synthesized by euphorbia cochinchinensis extract

Fe3O4 nanoparticles have attracted extensive attention in the field of environmental remediation owing to magnetism, large specific surface, size and ease of recycling. However, the removal efficiency and mechanisms of doxorubicin hydrochloride (DOX) with as-prepared Fe3O4 nanoparticles are still not well understood. In this study, Fe3O4 magnetite nanoparticles were prepared by euphorbia cochinchinensis extract via the green synthetic route and used to remove DOX, an anti-cancer drug. The green synthesized Fe3O4 nanoparticles were characterized using TEM, XRD, BET, FTIR and magnetism techniques. Results revealed that green synthesized nanomaterials consisted of magnetite Fe3O4 having 10–30 nm particle size and exhibiting high specific surface area of 95.8 m2/g. These Fe3O4 nanoparticles were employed to adsorb DOX from aqueous solution and the influences of initial pH, initial concentration of DOX and temperature were investigated. The results showed that 80.2% of DOX was removed using 20 mg/L of Fe3O4 nanoparticles at 303 K. Adsorption isotherms and kinetics data revealed that the removal of DOX fitted well to the pseudo second-order model and that the Freundlich adsorption model was a better fit than the Langmuir model. The probable removal mechanism of DOX on Fe3O4 was electrostatic interaction. Moreover, the application of Fe3O4 to remove DOX from real wastewater was evaluated.

Low-temperature hydrothermal fabrication of Fe3O4 nanostructured solar selective absorption films

Textured surface with complex nanostructure is considered as an important route for high efficient solar collector. Herein, we report a low-temperature one-step hydrothermal method to prepare Fe3O4 textured films for solar selective absorber. Surface morphology and thickness of Fe3O4 films can be tuned by the factors of alkaline concentration and reaction time. The irradiated photons can be effectively trapped in the interior space of the porous nanostructure by multi-reflection within the inner surface of irregular pores constructed by Fe3O4 nanoparticles. The as-prepared Fe3O4 films display excellent absorptivity (0.74–0.93) and low emittance (0.11–0.62). The absorption in the short wavelength zone (0.3–2.5 μm) mainly depends on the surface morphology, and the emission in the long wavelength zone (2.5–20 μm) is mainly determined by the thickness of the foamed nanostructure. This work develops a novel, low-cost, energy saving and environmentally friendly method to fabricate solar selective absorption films, which shows a good prospect in large area synthesis for solar energy utilization.

One-Pot Synthesis of Novel Amino-Functionalized Fe3O4 Hybrid Microspheres for Cu(II) Removal from Aqueous Solutions

In this work, we report the development of novel amino-functionalized Fe3O4 hybrid microspheres adsorbent from a facial and one-step solvothermal route by using FeCl3·6H2O as a single iron source and 3-aminophenoxy-phthalonitrile as ource of amino groups. During solvothermal process, the nitrile groups of 3-aminophenoxy-phthalonitrile would bond with the Fe3O4 through the phthalocyanine cyclization reaction to form the amino-functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nano-material, which was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and thermo-gravimetric analyzer (TGA). From the scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) observation, the resulting monodispersed amino-functionalized Fe3O4 hybrid microspheres with the diameters of 180–200 nm were synthesized via the self-assembly process. More importantly, as-prepared Fe3O4 nano-materials with abundant amino groups exhibited high separation efficiency when they were used to remove the Cu(II) from aqueous solutions. Furthermore, the adsorption isotherms of Fe3O4 nano-material for Cu(II) removal fitted the Langmuir isotherm model, in which the calculated maximum adsorption capacity could increase from 5.51 to 16.25 mg g–1 at room temperature. This work demonstrated that the amino-functionalized Fe3O4 magnetic nano-materials were promising as efficient adsorbents for the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater in low concentration.

Identification of Active Sites over Fe2O3-Based Architecture: The Promotion Effect of H2SO4 Erosion Synthetic Protocol

Knowledge of tuning the composition and structure of the active sites is crucial for understanding and improving the properties of catalysts. Here, we report that selective catalytic reduction (SCR) of NOx using ammonia over Fe2O3 nanoparticle is boosted by a nanometric Fe2(SO4)3 shell, which is generated via a facile H2SO4 erosion synthetic protocol. The Fe2O3–H2SO4 erosion sample consists of a well-defined hexagon shape Fe2O3 core and a 1 nm thin Fe2(SO4)3 shell formed by H2SO4 erosion as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy measurements. A set of control experiments show that pure Fe2O3 or Fe2(SO4)3 alone cannot fully account for the high catalytic performance of the Fe2O3–H2SO4 erosion sample. By combining electron microscopy, activity measurement, surface area titration, and temperature-programmed desorption and surface reaction, we show that reactants are activated within a zone at the surface interface of Fe2O3 and Fe2(SO4)3 on the as-prepared Fe2O3–H2SO4 erosion sample.

Porous Fe2O3 Microspheres as Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

In this work, Fe2O3 was successfully synthesized by the hydrothermal process at low temperature. FeCl3.6H2O as precursor and variation of lysine as hydrolyzing agent were used to preparing Fe2O3. SEM images show that the morphology of Fe2O3 is porous microsphere with sizes in the range of (1 to 5) µm in diameter. The as-prepared Fe2O3 with the 2 M of lysine exhibits excellent cycling performance when used as the anode for lithium ion batteries, obtaining reversible discharge capacity of 172.33 mA·h·g−1 at 0.5 C after 50 cycles. It is attributed to the unique structure of porous microspheres providing a large surface area which maintains good electronic contact between particles during charge-discharge process. This result demonstrates that Fe2O3 porous microsphere has a high potential as anode material for application of lithium-ion battery.

In situ synthesis of Fe3O4@SiO2 core–shell nanoparticles via surface treatment

Core–shell structured Fe3O4@SiO2 nanoparticles were synthesized through a facile in situ surface-treatment process. Surface treatments of the as-prepared Fe3O4 nanoparticles with acid or base caused changes in the shape of spherical particles agglomerated into clusters. The morphological changes of the particles experienced an abrupt change depending on the concentration of the treated acid or base, and the magnetization properties and surface characteristics corresponding to these behaviors were studied. As a result, optimum surface-treatment conditions for depositing SiO2 on the surface were established, and the derivation condition basically included the ideal environment for coating SiO2. It was possible to coat SiO2 using a sol–gel reaction without going through the removal of residual organics and a solvent displacement process. About 8 nm of a single coating layer was homogeneously formed due to excellent initial dispersibility of Fe3O4 nanoparticles according to the modified surface characteristics.

MOF-Derived Hierarchical MnO-Doped Fe3O4@C Composite Nanospheres with Enhanced Lithium Storage.

Hierarchically nanostructured binary/multiple transition-metal oxides with electrically conductive coatings are very attractive for lithium-ion batteries owing to their excellent electrochemical properties induced by their unique compositions and microstructures. Herein, hierarchical MnO-doped Fe3O4@C composite nanospheres are prepared by a simple one-step annealing in Ar atmosphere, using Mn-doped Fe-based metal-organic frameworks (Mn-doped MIL-53(Fe)) as precursor. The MnO-doped Fe3O4@C composite particles have a uniform nanosphere structure with a diameter of ∼100 nm, and each nanosphere is composed of clustered primary nanoparticles with an amorphous carbon shell, forming a unique hierarchical nanoarchitecture. The as-prepared hierarchical MnO-doped Fe3O4@C composite nanospheres exhibit markedly enhanced lithium-storage performance, with a large capacity of 1297.5 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles at 200 mA g-1. The cycling performance is clarified through analyzing the galvanostatic discharge/charge voltage profiles and electrochemical impedance spectra at different cycles. The unique microstructures and Mn element doping of the hierarchical MnO-doped Fe3O4@C composite nanospheres lead to their enhanced lithium-storage performance.

Yolk-like Fe3O4@C–Au@void@TiO2–Pd hierarchical microspheres with visible light-assisted enhanced photocatalytic degradation of dye

In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a type of yolk-like Fe3O4@C–Au@void@TiO2–Pd hierarchical microspheres with visible light-assisted enhanced photocatalytic degradation of dye and rapid magnetic separation. The resulting composite microspheres exhibited yolk-like hierarchical structures with a 236.3 m2 g−1 surface area and a high-saturation magnetization of 31.5 emu g−1. As an example of applications, the photodegradation of Rhodamine B (RhB) in the presence of NaBH4 was investigated under simulated sunlight irradiation. The results show that the photocatalytic activity of the yolk-like Fe3O4@C–Au@void@TiO2–Pd microcomposites in the RhB photodegradation is higher than the Fe3O4@C–Au@void@TiO2 and Fe3O4@C@TiO2 microcomposites, as they can degrade RhB with 40 min of irradiation time. In addition, by magnetic separation, the as-prepared yolk-like Fe3O4@C–Au@void@TiO2–Pd hierarchical microcomposites can be completely separated and reused for four times.

Constructing Multifunctional Heterostructure of Fe2 O3 @Ni3 Se4 Nanotubes.

Heterostructures have attracted increasing attention due to their amazing synergetic effects, which may improve the electrochemical properties, such as good electrical/ionic conductivity, electrochemical activity, and mechanical stability. Herein, novel hierarchical Fe2 O3 @Ni3 Se4 nanotubes are successfully fabricated by a multistep strategy. The nanotubes show length sizes of ≈250-500 nm, diameter sizes of ≈100-150 nm, and wall thicknesses of ≈10 nm. The as-prepared Fe2 O3 @Ni3 Se4 nanotubes with INi:Fe = 1:10 show excellent Li storage properties (897 mAh g-1 high reversible charge capacity at 0.1 A g-1 ), good rate performance (440 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 ), and outstanding long-term cycling performance (440 mAh g-1 at 5 A g-1 during the 300th cycle) as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. In addition, the Fe2 O3 @Ni3 Se4 nanotubes with INi:Fe = 1:10 (the atomic ratio between Ni and Fe) show superior electrocatalytic performance toward the oxygen evolution reaction with an overpotential of only 246 mV at 10 mA cm-2 and a low Tafel slope of 51 mV dec-1 in 1 m KOH solution.

Topochemical synthesis of ultrathin nanosheet-constructed Fe3O4 hierarchical structures as high-performance anode for Li-ion batteries

Two-dimensional nanosheets and their assembles have attracted considerable attention as high-performance anode materials for Li-ion batteries because of their short transport lengths and robust structures. In this work, Fe3O4 hierarchical structures assembled by porous ultrathin nanosheets are prepared from the topochemical conversion of Fe-glycolate precursor obtained via a facile refluxing process. The flower-like hierarchical nanostructures have a size of ~ 2.5 µm constructed from ultrathin nanosheet building blocks with thickness of ca. 10 nm. When used as an anode electrode, the as-prepared Fe3O4 hierarchical nanostructures demonstrate excellent electrochemical properties with a reversible and stable capacity as high as 964.3 mAh g−1 at 500 mA g−1 after 100 cycles, and superior rate capability of 487 mAh g−1 at a high current density of 8 A g−1.

Green Synthesis of Magnetite Nanostructures from Naturally Available Iron Sands via Sonochemical Method

Abstract Herein, we report the green synthesis of magnetite (Fe3O4) nanostructures (including flower-like nanosheets and cube-like particles) with large surface areas ranging from 127 to 318 m2 g−1 from naturally available iron sands using a facile sonochemical method, with the assistance of polyethylene glycol (PEG 6000). The X-ray diffraction (XRD) results reveal that the Fe3O4 nanostructures obtained from these iron sands are of good purity and crystallinity and are polycrystalline with an inverse cubic spinel structure. The increased addition of PEG 6000 from 5 to 25% v/v is found to result in larger crystallite size and improved crystallinity. Furthermore, the Fe3O4 nanostructures synthesized by our proposed method have a tendency to form flower-like structures composed of thin nanosheets when the amount of PEG 6000 is low (5–10% v/v), although their morphology gradually changes to cube-like particles at 15% PEG, before finally being converted to spherical nanoparticles with relatively good dispersity at high PEG contents (above 15%). More importantly, the specific surface area of the obtained Fe3O4 nanostructures decreases with increased addition of PEG due to the increased agglomeration of the particles. The magnetic properties characterization of the as-prepared Fe3O4 samples via vibrating sample magnetometer revealed that they exhibit superparamagnetism at room temperature and that their saturation magnetization values are strongly affected by the crystallite size of the Fe3O4 phase as Fe3O4 nanoparticles with larger crystallite size exhibit higher saturation magnetization (Ms) values. The presented work may encourage the use of naturally available resources rather than laboratory-made chemical reagents for the synthesis of iron oxide and other metal oxide nanostructures in the future.