Hollow nanoparticles of β-iron oxide synthesized by chemical vapor condensation

Hollow nanoparticles of beta-Fe2O3 were synthesized by chemical vapor condensation (CVC). A structural study revealed that the nanoparticles, 10-20 nm in diameter, consisted of hollow structures with several shells 3-5 nm in thickness. TEM observation indicated that the shells of the beta-Fe2O3 nanoparticles consist of several grain structures having different crystal orientations. This feature of the crystallinity enables us to infer the formation mechanism of the hollow structure of the beta-Fe2O3 nanoparticles during CVC process.