The In Situ Study of the Fe3O4/DMSO Ferrofluid Synthesis

Abstract

Electron spin resonance in situ was applied to study the initial stages of ferrofluid formation in combination with the X-ray diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy studies data. The ultrafine (d = 4 nm) magnetite in dimethylsulfoxide ferrofluid with a narrow size nanoparticles distribution was obtained in a single step at room temperature by admixing butylene oxide to a solution of iron (II) and (III) chlorides in dimethylsulfoxide. It has been shown that at the first step of the ferrofluid synthesis antiferromagnetically ordered iron containing phase is formed, which can be correlated with iron hydroxides.