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Thermal Plasma Synthesis of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles

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Abstract

Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by injecting ferrocene vapor and oxygen into an argon/helium DC thermal plasma. Size distributions of particles in the reactor exhaust were measured online using an aerosol extraction probe interfaced to a scanning mobility particle sizer, and particles were collected on transmission electron microscopy (TEM) grids and glass fiber filters for off-line characterization. The morphology, chemical and phase composition of the nanoparticles were characterized using TEM and X-ray diffraction, and the magnetic properties of the particles were analyzed with a vibrating sample magnetometer and a magnetic property measurement system. Aerosol at the reactor exhaust consisted of both single nanocrystals and small agglomerates, with a modal mobility diameter of 8–9 nm. Powder synthesized with optimum oxygen flow rate consisted primarily of magnetite (Fe3O4), and had a room-temperature saturation magnetization of 40.15 emu/g, with a coercivity and remanence of 26 Oe and 1.5 emu/g, respectively.

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Acknowledgments

This research was primarily supported by the U.S. National Science Foundation under Award Numbers CBET-0730184 and CBET-1066343, and by the Minnesota Futures Grant Program. Parts of the characterization work were conducted at the College of Science and Engineering Characterization Facility and the Institute for Rock Magnetism at the University of Minnesota.

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  1. Adam M. Boies & Steven Calder

    Present address: Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, Trumpington Street, Cambridge, CB2 1PZ, UK

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota, 111 Church St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Pingyan Lei, Adam M. Boies, Steven Calder & Steven L. Girshick

  2. Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, Wageningen University, Dreijenplein 8, 6703 HB, Wageningen, The Netherlands

    Steven Calder

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  1. Pingyan Lei
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Correspondence to Steven L. Girshick.

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Lei, P., Boies, A.M., Calder, S. et al. Thermal Plasma Synthesis of Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles. Plasma Chem Plasma Process 32, 519–531 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11090-012-9364-1

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