Formation of Highly Reactive Species at the Interface Fe°–Iron Oxides Particles by Mechanical Alloying and Thermal Treatment: Potential Application in Environmental Remediation Processes

In this work, the formation of highly reactive species at the interface of Fe°/iron oxides mixtures, i.e., Fe3O4, γ-Fe2O3, or α-Fe2O3 prepared by mechanical alloying and thermal treatment at 200–800 °C was studied. Mössbauer spectroscopic, XRD, SEM, BET, and magnetization measurements suggest a strong interaction between the metal and the oxides producing highly reactive surface species which can readily react with gas phases, i.e., O2, and with aqueous phase, i.e., H2O2, molecules.