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Iron oxide particles constitute a diverse class of materials displaying a range of optical, magnetic and catalytic properties could harnessed in a variety of applications. A new synthesis procedure was developed by Professor Stephen O'Brien, in collaboration with Dr. Chris Murray of the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center, and MRSEC/IBM bridging postdoctoral scientist Dr. Franz Redl. This chemical synthesis is based on the decomposition of Fe(CO)5 to make very monodisperse ligand capped particles. Ferrimagnetic iron oxides (such as the 12 nm diameter gamma-Fe2O3 shown in the picture on the right) and mixed metal oxides have applications in magnetic storage, high frequency transformers and RF and microwave components. The semiconducting properties of alpha-Fe2O3 suggest strong potential for this material in photocatalysis while the half metallic behavior of Fe3O4 has generated considerable interest in spin polarized electronics. In addition to electronic applications the stability and bio-compatibiliy of the iron oxides are making them leading candidates for drug delivery, diagnostic and medical imaging applications. This TEM (transmission electron micrograph) shows ordered assembly that is a consequence of the monodispersity in nanoparticle size. Similar work has been done recently in South Korea by Prof. Hyeon, who will now collaborate with the Columbia MRSEC on new synthetic procedures.
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