$\gamma$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$/ZnO composite particles prepared by a two step chemical soft method

Abstract

Composite iron oxide-Zinc oxide ($\gamma $- Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$/ZnO) was synthesized by two step method: in the first one step $\gamma$-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ particles were obtained by a cetyltrimethylammonium hydroxide (CTAOH) assisted hydrothermal method at low temperature (60$^{\circ}$C). In the second step, the $\gamma $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ particles were included in the ZnO particles synthesis, which were obtained by a hexamethylenetetramine (HMTA) assisted hydrothermal method at low temperature (90$^{\circ}$C). SEM study of the samples revealed that the $\gamma $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$/ZnO composites present a compact morphology. The $\gamma $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ and ZnO phases were identified by XRD, energy dispersive X-ray analysis (EDX) and analysis of the IR spectrum. The composite exhibit the characteristic emissions of ZnO under UV radiation and ferromagnetic behavior of $\gamma $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ under an external magnetic field.