Europium Oxide-Hematite Magnetic Ceramic Nanoparticles

Abstract

Nanoparticle system with the composition xEu2O3-(1-x)α-Fe2O3 (x = 0.1 and 0.5) was successfully synthesized by mechanochemical activation of Eu2O3 and α-Fe2O3 mixtures for 0-12 hours of ball milling time. The study is of relevance to catalysis, biomedical, sensing and energy-related applications. 57Fe and 151Eu Mössbauer spectroscopy were used to investigate the phase evolution, solid solution formation and hyperfine parameters of xEu2O3-(1-x)α-Fe2O3 nanoparticle system under the mechanochemical activation process. The 57Fe Mössbauer studies showed that the spectrum of the ball milled samples evolved from a sextet for hematite to sextets and a doublet upon duration of the milling process with europium oxide. This indicated the formation of the EuFeO3 perovskite for large x values and long milling times. The 151Eu Mössbauer investigations showed that the isomer shift decreased with increasing milling time for all molar concentrations employed.