Fast microwave synthesis of Fe3O4 and Fe3O4/Ag magnetic nanoparticles using Fe2+ as precursor

A simple and quick microwave method to prepare high performance magnetite nanoparticles (Fe 3 O 4 NPs) directly from Fe has been developed. The as-prepared Fe 3 O 4 NPs product was fully characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results show that the as-prepared Fe 3 O 4 NPs are quite monodisperse with an average core size of 80 × 5 nm. The microwave synthesis technique can be easily modified to prepare Fe 3 O 4 /Ag NPs and these NPs possess good magnetic properties. The formation mechanisms of the NPs are also discussed. Our proposed synthesis procedure is quick and simple, and shows potential for large-scale production and applications for catalysis and biomedical/biological uses.