Formation and characterization of iron oxide nanoparticles loaded on self-organized TiO2 nanotubes

The iron oxide nanoparticles were loaded onto self-organized TiO2 nanotube layers grown by anodization of Ti in fluoride containing electrolytes. The nanoparticles were obtained by electrodepositing method in glycerol/water/FeCl3.6H2O electrolytes at room temperature. The X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) measurements showed that the nanoparticles consisted of iron nanocrystalline (Fe) and magnetite (Fe3O4). The hematite (α-Fe2O3) structure was obtained by annealing in air at 450 oC. The growth mechanism of the nanoparticles and their morphology were also described. Furthermore, the nanoparticles exhibited good ferromagnetic properties at room temperature.