Immobilization of α-Fe 2 O 3 nanoparticles on the cellulose surface: role of cellulose in tuning the microstructure and crystallographic phase

Nanoparticles of α-Fe2O3 of diameter ca. 15–130 nm were immobilized on the cellulose fiber surface by a single step in situ hydrothermal method carried out at 150 °C for 16 h. In the absence of cellulose, keeping all other experimental conditions same, nanoflakes of α-FeOOH having width of ca. 25 nm and length of ca. 250 nm were precipitated out. The immobilization of the α-Fe2O3 on the cellulose surface owing to the formation of the covalent bond between these two plays an important role in manipulating the nucleation of Fe(III) as α-Fe2O3. The non-existence of the covalent bond leads to the nucleation of the α-FeOOH. A plausible mechanism for the nucleation of α-Fe2O3 and α-FeOOH in the presence and absence of cellulose, respectively, has been proposed in the light of the evidence obtained from the FTIR, XPS and 13C CPMAS NMR investigations.