Controlled synthesis of monodispersed hematite microcubes and their properties

Hematite (alpha-Fe2O3) is a thermodynamically stable crystallographic phase of iron oxide and has attractive applications in many areas. By using a simple hydrothermal method, we synthesized smooth hematite microcubes and porous hematite microcubes. The as-synthesized microcubes have uniform edge lengths of about 1 mm. The magnetic, electrochemical properties and gas sensing performance to some organic gases were investigated, revealing the potential applications in various fields. By tuning the experimental parameters, such as source and solvent, we are able to tunably produce goethite (FeOOH) nanowires, and hematite nanoparticles, nanorods, and nanoplatelets and the formation mechanism was also discussed.