Document Type : Review Article

Authors

• Nwar A. Yousif ¹
• Selma M. Al-Jawad ¹
• Ali A. Taha ²
• Haralambos Stamatis ³

¹ Applied Physics Branch, Department of Applied Sciences, University of Technology – Iraq

² Biotechnology Division, Department of Applied Sciences, University of Technology – Iraq

³ Department of Biological Applications and Technologies (DBAT), University of Loannina – Greece

Abstract

In recent years, extensive studies have been devoted to iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs). Iron oxides are chemical compounds that have various polymorphic forms, including maghemite (γ-Fe₂O₃), magnetite (Fe₃O₄), and Hematite (α-Fe₂O₃). Among them, the most important studied is magnetite (Fe₃O₄) due to its low cost and low toxicity and its unique magnetic and physicochemical characteristics, which qualify it for use in various biomedical and technological applications. Magnetic particles should be small and have a narrow size distribution for these applications. The smaller the size of the iron oxide particles, the greater their reactivity and biodegradability. In this review, we display summary information on magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles in terms of structure, characteristics, and preparation methods.   Because the prepared strategy has been proven to be critical for preferable control of the particle size and shape, in addition to producing monodispersed magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles with a direct effect on their characteristics and applications, special attention will be placed on chemical preparation techniques including Hydrothermal synthesis, Coprecipitation technique, Sol-Gel process, and thermal decomposition method. This review offers specific information for selecting appropriate synthetic methods for obtaining appropriate sizes, shapes, and magnetic properties of magnetite (Fe₃O₄) nanoparticles (NPs) for target applications.

Keywords

• Nanoparticles
• Fe3O4
• Chemical methods

Main Subjects

• Applied Physics