Fast Preparation, Characterization, and Property Study of α-Fe 2 O 3 Nanoparticles via a Simple Solution-Combusting Method

In the present article, we report the successful synthesis of α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles via a simple solution-combusting method, employing a mixture of ethanol and ethyleneglycol (V/V = 60/40) as the solvent, iron chloride (FeCl 3 ) as the iron source, and O 2 in the atmosphere as the oxygen source. The as-prepared products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry (EDS). The magnetic property of the product was investigated. The electrochemical experiments showed that the as-prepared α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles could promote the electrochemical reduction of H 2 O 2 . Simultaneously, control experiments showed that the as-prepared product owned better the photocatalytic ability for the degradation of organic dyes than that prepared by the solvothermal route.