Iron oxide (Fe2O3) nanoclusters exhibit significant potential in the biomedical and pharmaceutical fields due to their strong magnetic properties, stability in solutions, and compatibility with living systems. They excel in magnetic separation processes, displaying high responsiveness to external magnetic fields. In contrast to conventional Fe2O3 nanoparticles that can aggregate in aqueous solutions due to their ferrimagnetic properties, these nanoclusters, composed of multiple nanoparticles, maintain their magnetic traits even when scaled to hundreds of nanometers. In this study, we develop a simple method using solvothermal synthesis to precisely control the size of nanoclusters. By adjusting precursor materials and reducing agents, we successfully control the particle sizes within the range of 90 to 420 nm. Our study not only enhances the understanding of nanocluster creation but also offers ways to improve their properties for applications such as magnetic separation. This is supported by our experimental results highlighting their size-dependent magnetic response in water. This study has the potential to advance both the knowledge and practical utilization of Fe2O3 nanoclusters in various applications.

This review summarizes the recent progress in iron-oxide-based heat generators. Cancer treatment using magnetic nanoparticles as a heat generator, termed magnetic fluid hyperthermia, is a promising noninvasive approach that has gained significant interest. Most previous studies on improving the hyperthermia effect have focused on the construction of dopant-containing iron oxides. However, their applications in a clinical application can be limited due to extra dopants, and pure iron oxide is the only inorganic material approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Several factors that influence the heat generation capability of iron-oxide-based nanoparticles are summarized by reviewing recent studies on hyperthermia agents. Thus, our paper will provide the guideline for developing pure iron oxide-based heat generators with high heat dissipation capabilities.

The ballasted flocculation effects of the mill scale and magnetite on activated sludge were investigated. Both ballasted flocculants (BF) could remarkably improve the sludge settleability in terms of zone settling velocity (ZSV) and sludge volume index (SVI). With the BF dosage of 0.2 to 2.0 g-BF/g-SS, the magnetite particles showed better efficiency on improving settling behavior of activated sludge than the mill scale due to higher surface area and hydrophobic property. The efficiency of SVI30 with magnetite injection was 2.5 to 11.3% higher than mill scale injection and that of the ZSV appreciated from 23.7% to 44.4% for magnetite injection. Averaged floc size of the BF sludge with magnetite dosage (0.5 g-BF/g-SS) was 2.3 times higher than that of the control sludge. Dewaterability of the sludge was also greatly improved by addition of the BF. The specific resistance to filtration (SRF) was reduced exponentially with increasing the dosage of BF. However, the BF’s particle size effect on the SRF looks to be marginal. Consequently, for improving the dewaterability, the BF played a physical role to remove the pore water of the biological flocs by intrusive attachment and a chemical role to induce aggregation of the flocs by charge neutralization.

가교된 단분산 폴리스티렌 비드를 유화 중합과 분산 중합으로 합성하였다. 가교된 폴리스티렌 비드를 자일렌과 iron pentacarbonyl로 팽윤시킨 후 옥틸 에테르와 함께 환류하여 iron pentacarbonyl을 산화철로 변환시켰다. 산화철의 화학 안정성을 향상시키기 위해 산화철을 포함하는 폴리스티렌 비드를 실리카로 코팅하였다. 소결로 폴리스티렌 비드를 제거하여 산화철을 포함하는 중공 실리카 비드를 얻었다. 전체 합성 과정에서 모든 비드의 크기와 형태는 균일하게 유지되었고, 산화철을 포함하는 중공 실리카 입자는 강한 자성을 보였다.

본 연구에서는 구리 이온(Cu2+ ion) 제거를 위한 산화철(Fe3O4)/다공성 탄소 복합체를 합성하였으며, 이를 바탕으로 구리 이온 제거에 대한 특성 평가를 실시하였다. SEM, XRD 분석을 진행하여 수열합성(hydrothermal) 반응을 이용한 산화철/다공성 탄소 복합체의 형태와 구조를 확인하였다. BET 분석을 통해 비표면적과 기공 크기를 확인하였으며, UV-vis 장비를 통해 성능 평가를 실시하여 자성이 있는 Fe3O4와 다공성 탄소와의 시너지효과를 통해 액체 상태에서 존재하는 구리 이온을 제거할 수 있는 가능성을 제시하였다.

Fabrication of iron oxide/carbon nanotube composite structures for detection of ammonia gas at room temperature is reported. The iron oxide/carbon nanotube composite structures are fabricated by in situ co-arc-discharge method using a graphite source with varying numbers of iron wires inserted. The composite structures reveal higher response signals at room temperature than at high temperatures. As the number of iron wires inserted increased, the volume of carbon nanotubes and iron nanoparticles produced increased. The oxidation condition of the composite structures varied the carbon nanotube/iron oxide ratio in the structure and, consequently, the resistance of the structures and, finally, the ammonia gas sensing performance. The highest sensor performance was realized with 500 oC/2 h oxidation heat-treatment condition, in which most of the carbon nanotubes were removed from the composite and iron oxide played the main role of ammonia sensing. The response signal level was 62% at room temperature. We also found that UV irradiation enhances the sensing response with reduced recovery time.

Excess phosphorus in water has become a crucial aspect concerning the eutrophication. Experiments were carried out to fabricate particles of iron oxide to polymer and the beads were then calcinated. It was found that adsorption process most satisfactory fitted to Langmuir equation (R2>0.92) with maximum adsorption capacity 2.663 mg P/g adsorbent. Equilibrium of adsorption was reached after 3 h, while the initial adsorption rate increased from 0.46 mg/g-h to 3.83 mg/g-h when the bead iron content increased from 40.4 mg Fe/g to 160 mg Fe/g. This research was supported by a project (No. 2013001390002) from the Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute funded by the Ministry of Environment and the Brain Korea 21 Plus program of the Korean government.

This is the study on diffusion of ceramic body oxide compounds to glaze. For ceramic bodies, no ferrous oxides contain white ware, celadon, and 3 wt% iron oxides contained white ware was used in this experiment. These ceramic bodies were glazed by transparency glaze, iron oxides contained glaze, and glaze made by pine tree ash that treated in 1240 degree, under reduction condition for an hour. An electron probe microanalyzer(EPMA) was used to study diffusion of oxides and to calculate distance of ceramics bodies. As a result, only iron oxide and magnesium oxide from the body diffused to glaze, and also made a band which shown very thin layer of iron oxide and magnesium oxide between the body and glaze. The densest band of iron oxide formed 100 to 150μm in the glaze, and the densest band of magnesium oxide was found 50 to 100μm in the glaze. Therefore, it could be concluded that iron oxide in the body is diffused to the glaze and it affects the color of glaze, even though iron oxide exists in the glaze. Furthermore, the thickness of the glaze has an effect on the color of celadon.

본 연구에서는, 산화그래핀(GO) 및 산화철이 기능화된 산화그래핀(M-GO)을 용매인 dimethylformamide (DMF)에초음파분쇄법을 이용하여 완전히 분산시킨 후, 기질고분자인 polyacrylonitrile (PAN)에 첨가하여 전기방사함으로써, 나노섬유 형태의 복합분리막을 제조하였다. 제조된 나노섬유 분리막은 적층수를 변화시켜 기공크기를 조절하였다. Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) 분석 결과로부터 약 500 nm 크기의 고른 직경분포를 가진 나노섬유 복합분리막이 제조되었음을 확인하였다. 또한, Raman spectroscopy 분석과 Energy Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy (EDS) 분석 결과로부터 GO 및 M-GO가 분리막 내에 분산되어 있음을 확인하였다. 최종 나노섬유 복합분리막은 상용막(0.27 µm, 55%)과 유사한 기공특성(0.21~0.24 µm,40%)을 보여주었으며, 수투과도 측정결과 PAN 막에 비해 약 200% 향상된 성능을 보여주었다. 이러한 결과로부터, 전기방사법으로 제조된 나노섬유 복합분리막은 수처리용 분리막으로서 충분한 활용가능성이 있다고 판단된다.

The chemical formula of magnetite (Fe3O4) is FeO·Fe2O3, t magnetite being composed of divalent ferrous ion andtrivalent ferric ion. In this study, the influence of the coexistence of ferrous and ferric ion on the formation of iron oxide wasinvestigated. The effect of the co-precipitation parameters (equivalent ratio and reaction temperature) on the formation of ironoxide was investigated using ferric sulfate, ferrous sulfate and ammonia. The equivalent ratio was varied from 0.1 to 3.0 andthe reaction temperature was varied from 25 to 75. The concentration of the three starting solutions was 0.01mole. Jarosite wasformed when equivalent ratios were 0.1-0.25 and jarosite, goethite, magnetite were formed when equivalent ratios were 0.25-0.6. Single-phase magnetite was formed when the equivalent ratio was above 0.65. The crystallite size and median particle sizeof the magnetite decreased when the equivalent ratio was increased from 0.65 to 3.0. However, the crystallite size and medianparticle size of the magnetite increased when the reaction temperature was increased from 25oC to 75oC. When ferric and ferroussulfates were used together, the synthetic conditions to get single phase magnetite became simpler than when ferrous sulfatewas used alone because of the co-existence of Fe2+ and Fe3+ in the solution.

A Fe(OH)2 suspension was prepared by mixing iron sulfate and a weak alkali ammonia solution. Following this, iron oxides were synthesized by passing pure oxygen through the suspension (oxidation). The effects of different reaction temperatures (30˚C, 50˚C, 70˚C) and equivalent ratios (0.1~10.0) on the formation of iron oxides were investigated. An equilibrium phase diagram was established by quantitative phase analysis of the iron oxides using the Rietveld method. The equilibrium phase diagram showed a large difference from the equilibrium phase diagram of Kiyama when the equivalent ratio was above 1, and single Fe3O4 phase only formed above an equivalent ratio 2 at all reaction temperatures. Kiyama synthesized iron oxide using iron sulfate and a strong alkali NaOH solution.

결정 성장 조절체를 이용하여 수용액 중에서 직접 α산화철을 제조하였으며, 염기도에 따른 생성물의 입자 특성과 반응기구, α산화철의 생성 과정과 침상형 입자의 생성 반응 기구를 고찰하였다. pH 9.0이하에서는 hexagonalgudxo, pH 10.75-11.75범위에서는 ellipsoidal 또는 rectangular 형태의 α-Fe2O3입자로 각각 생성되었으며, pH12.50이상에서는 acicular 형태의 α-FeOOH입자가 생성되었다. pH 10.75-11.75범위에서 제조된 생성물의 염기도는 결정 성장 조절제의 해리에 의해 생성된 수산기 이온(OH-) 때문에 반응물의 염기도에 대비해 약간 증가하는 현상을 나타내었다. 결정 성장 조절제로 사용한 구연상은 제이철 수산화물에 구연산 음이온(R-COO-) 형태로 흡착되어 생성물인 α산화철의 입자 형태를 침상 형태로 유도하였다.

바이오매스 및 폐기물로부터의 합성가스 생산 기술 개발은 효율적인 에너지 생산 및 처리방법으로 각광받아오고 있다. 특히, 가스화 반응으로부터 생산되는 타르는 가스화 효율을 낮추고, 배관폐쇄에 따른 가스화 시스템의 연속운전 저해 요소로 작용하고 있다. 효율적인 합성가스 내 타르 저감 방안으로, 촉매를 활용한 수증기 개질 연구가 이루어져 오고 있다. 주로 수증기 개질 반응용으로 사용되는 Ni 계열의 상용 촉매는 높은 가격 및 낮은 열적안정성으로 인해 중금속 계열의 Fe 활용 연구에 관한 연구 결과가 보고되고 있다. 특히, 제련공정으로부터 생산되는 제강슬래그와 염색 산업단지에서 발생되는 염색슬러지의 주성분은 Fe로, 상용 촉매 대체 적용가능 여부를 판단하기 위해 타르 스팀 개질 특성을 확인할 필요가 있다. 본 연구에서는 제강슬래그의 비표면적 향상을 위해 고온 알칼리 처리를 하였으며, 염색슬러지의 활용을 위해 고온 소성 처리를 수행하였다. 전처리를 거친 각각의 시료는 타르의 대표 성분인 벤젠을 이용하여 다양한 반응온도 조건에서 촉매 성능 평가를 수행하였으며, 대조군으로 촉매가 없는 조건과 Fe계열의 상용촉매 상에서 수행을 하였다. 최대 활성을 나타내는 900℃에서 제강슬래그의 경우 상용촉매에 비해 약 15% 높은 촉매 활성을 나타내었으며, 염색슬러지의 경우 상용촉매와 동일한 활성을 나타내었다. 이를 통해, 상용 촉매를 대체 할 수 있는 폐자원을 활용한 타르 개질 공정에 적용함으로써 운전비용 절감과 자원재활용에 크게 기여할 것이라고 사료된다.

금속나노입자는 진단이나 치료를 포함한 의생명응용분야에 있어 매력적인 특징들을 갖고 있다. 양성자 빔 치료를 위한 방사선증감제로 사용하기 위해 가교덱스트란이 코팅된 산화철나노입자(SPIONs)와 실리카가 코팅된 산화가돌리늄나노입자(SPGONs)를 합성하였다. 덱스트란과 실리카는 각각 SPIONs와 SPGONs의 보호수단이다. 합성된 SPIONs와 SPGONs를 투과전자현미경(TEM)으로 분석한 결과 각각 평균 직경이 3~5 nm와 30~100 nm였다. 합성된 방사선 증감제의 효과를 평가하기 위해 세포생존곡선 측정과 Western blotting을 수행하였다. 측정된 세포생존곡선으로부터 계산된 90% 세포사멸 시 방사선증감비는 SPIONs와 SPGONs에 대하여 각각 1.23과 1.03이었다. Western blotting 결과 역시 Cytochrome C의 발현량이 SPIONs를 처리한 암세포에서 유의적으로 증가됨을 보였다.