Hi.I have synthesized some amorphous metal oxide nanoparticles such as iron oxide. I want to know that the nanoparticle is magnetite or hematite.How can I know the exact chemical formula of the synthesized material?
I also have this problem with copper oxide nanoparticles.
XPS is good technique. You can also try XRD, magnetite and haematite peaks will be easily distinguished and too broad peaks will also confirm the amorphous nature of material.
Amorphous material has local short range order over a distance and thus will have very broad peaks in XRD. In XRD, the two theta values for hematite and magnetite are not identical which can help to identify them (see AIP ADVANCES
1, 042122 (2011). Furthermore, exact formula and forms can be identified by XPS.
Good luck
XRD pattern shows absence of sharp peaks confirming the amorphous nature, and
observed broad humps in XRD pattern indicate the short range order.
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