Influence of Iron Nanowires Oxidation on Their Semiconducting Properties |
| M. Krajewski, K. Gołasa and D. Wasik
Institute of Experimental Physics, Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, L. Pasteura 5, 02-093 Warsaw, Poland |
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| The main aim of this work was to study the impact of thermal annealing on the structure of iron oxide shell covering iron nanowires in relation to their semiconducting properties. Studied nanomaterial has been produced via a simple chemical reduction in an external magnetic field and then it has been thermally-treated at 400°C, 600°C and also 800°C in a slightly oxidizing argon atmosphere. Annealed iron nanowires have been characterized by means of the Raman spectroscopy and photoluminescence in order to study the structure of iron oxide shell and its influence on semiconducting properties of the whole nanostructure. According to obtained experimental results, the composition of iron oxide shell covering the studied nanomaterial is changing with annealing temperature. The thermal treatment at 400°C leads to oxidation of iron coming from the core of nanomaterial and formation of a mixture of Fe3O4 and α -Fe2O3 on the surfaces of nanowires, while annealing at higher temperatures results in further oxidation of iron as well as the phase transformation of previously created Fe3O4 into the most thermodynamically stable form: of iron oxide at ambient conditions - α -Fe2O3. This oxide has a major impact on the semiconducting properties of studied nanomaterial. Thereby, the measurements of photoluminescence enabled to estimate the bandgap of bulk and surface layer at about 1.8 eV and 2.1 eV, respectively. |
DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.129.A-135 PACS numbers: 81.07.Gf, 62.23.Hj, 61.46.Km, 78.67.Uh, 82.53.Mj, 81.16.Pr |