Importance of Surfactant Quantity and Quality on Growth Regime of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

This study shows the influence of selected nonstandard surfactants on the growth and properties of magnetite nanoparticles. Particles were obtained using thermally decomposed iron (III) acetylacetonate in an organic environment. For synthesis, three different concentrations (4, 8, and 16 mmol) of tested surfactants were used. Five types of each long-chain carboxylic acid and amines were selected for stabilization of nanoparticles. Nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and infrared spectroscopy. Magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were tested by conventional room temperature Mössbauer spectroscopy with and without external magnetic field. TEM images clearly showed that application of tertiary amines causes the nanoparticles to form nanoflowers, in contrast to other compounds, which do not show such growth. Influence of surfactant amount on growth regime depends on the nature of the substances. Mössbauer spectroscopy confirms differences in magnetic core composition as a result of the surfactant amount present in synthetic procedure.