cm3007342_si_001.pdf (10.52 MB)
Iron Nitride and Carbide: from Crystalline Nanoparticles to Stable Aqueous Dispersions
journal contribution
posted on 2012-07-24, 00:00 authored by Constanze Schliehe, Jiayin Yuan, Stefan Glatzel, Konrad Siemensmeyer, Klaus Kiefer, Cristina GiordanoIron nitride and carbide nanoparticles were synthesized
using iron oxide particles as template. They were furthermore dispersed
in aqueous solution via stabilization with a poly(ionic liquid). They
provide a great potential combining a high saturation magnetization
with low toxicity compared to the iron based compounds that are currently
used in several applications such as cell-sorting and hyperthermia
or as contrast enhancers for magnetic resonance imaging. We here present
a sustainable and green procedure to synthesize iron nitride and carbide
by resorting to the variety of iron oxide template nanoparticles.
In this way the shape and the size can be precisely controlled and
tuned within the nanometer range. During calcination, urea enables
to control the composition of the product material, whereas a biopolymer
agar protects the particles from agglomeration. We dispersed the particles
in water by using poly(1-ethyl-3-vinylimidazolium bromide) as stabilizing
agent. Magnetic measurements of the converted particles show that
particles with a diameter of 18 nm are located at the border of superparamagnetic
and ferromagnetic behavior. As expected after conversion the saturation
magnetization of the particles was notably increased. The herein presented
synthetic approach can be applied to other metals and has thus the
potential to be important for the synthesis of nitrides and carbides
in general.