Synthesis, Structure, and Magnetic Characteristics of Mesoporous Fe2O3–SiO2 Composites

Abstract

In this paper, we examine processes for producing mesoporous Fe₂O₃–SiO₂ silica-matrix composites with different fractions of ferric oxide and demonstrate the effect of the synthesis procedure on the structure, textural characteristics, particle size, and magnetic properties of the materials. We assess the thermal stability of the composites. A ferric-oxide-rich material (Fe : Si = 0.6 : 1) prepared by hydrothermal synthesis (THS) exhibits ferrimagnetic properties after high-temperature holding (t = 1000°C) for 3 h.