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Abstract
Issue Title: Special Focus: Environmental and Human Exposure to Nanomaterials/Guest Edited by Vladimir Murashov
In this study, the synthesis of monophasic nanocrystalline zinc ferrite (ZnFe^sub 2^O^sub 4^) was achieved by controlling the thermal decomposition conditions of a zinc-iron tartrate precursor method. Differential thermal analysis/thermogravimetry (DTA/TG), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fe^sup 2+^ content analysis, transmission electron microscopy (TEM), and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) techniques were used to investigate the effect of heat treatment conditions on the calcined powders. The thermal decomposition of the precursor led to an intermediate phase formation of ZnO, Fe^sub 3^O^sub 4^, and γ-Fe^sub 2^O^sub 3^. It was found that the Fe^sub 3^O^sub 4^ [arrow right] γ-Fe^sub 2^O^sub 3^ oxidation reaction is the key step in producing monophasic nanosized ZnFe^sub 2^O^sub 4^. The monophasic nanoparticles of ZnFe^sub 2^O^sub 4^ can be obtained when the precursor is heat treated under a low temperature (300-400 °C) and long residence time (4 h) process that can prompt the Fe^sub 3^O^sub 4^ oxidation and prevent the formation of α-Fe^sub 2^O^sub 3^.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]