Microstructural Refinement of Additive-Free Glycothermal Fe3O4 Nanoparticle Aggregates for Tunable Electrical Conductivity
Mohd Paad K, Kämäräinen T, Futakawame N, Tanno D, Kadota K, Tozuka Y, Sawada A, Yamanaka S (2026)
Publication Type: Journal article
Publication year: 2026
Journal
Original Authors: Khairunnisa Mohd Paad, Tero Kämäräinen, Naoki Futakawame, Daisuke Tanno, Kazunori Kadota, Yuichi Tozuka, Ayaka Sawada, Shinya Yamanaka
Abstract
Magnetite (Fe3O4) nanoparticles are widely used as functional magnetic materials, characterized by their ferromagnetism, biocompatibility, and electrical conductivity. Because these properties strongly depend on particle size and morphology, controlling nucleation and growth is essential. The glycothermal method has emerged as a versatile route for synthesizing metal oxide nanoparticles with tunable shapes, and we previously demonstrated that morphology control can be achieved without additives simply by varying the solvent system. In this study, we investigated the influence of synthesis temperature and precursor concentration on the additive-free glycothermal formation of Fe3O4, interpreted through the framework of the LaMer model. Spherical secondary particles with diameters of 277–350 nm were formed, comprising primary nanoparticles whose sizes varied according to the reaction conditions. Electrical conductivity exhibited a strong negative correlation with specific surface area (r = −0.88). To elucidate this behavior, we compared crystalline size with the diameter derived from specific surface area, providing insights into the internal microstructure and packing density of the aggregates. Transmission electron microscopy analysis revealed that nanoscale roughness, correlation length, and Fourier components associated with different morphological length scales remained unchanged across all synthesis conditions. These results demonstrate that microstructural control in magnetite assemblies is crucial for tuning their electrical properties and highlight the potential of additive-free glycothermal synthesis for designing Fe3O4-based functional materials.
Authors with CRIS profile
Involved external institutions
Muroran Institute of Technology (MuIT) / 室蘭工業大学
Japan (JP)
Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University
Japan (JP)
Japan (JP)
Osaka Medical and Pharmaceutical University
Japan (JP)
How to cite
APA:
Mohd Paad, K., Kämäräinen, T., Futakawame, N., Tanno, D., Kadota, K., Tozuka, Y.,... Yamanaka, S. (2026). Microstructural Refinement of Additive-Free Glycothermal Fe3O4 Nanoparticle Aggregates for Tunable Electrical Conductivity. ACS Applied Energy Materials. https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaenm.6c00599
MLA:
Mohd Paad, Khairunnisa, et al. "Microstructural Refinement of Additive-Free Glycothermal Fe3O4 Nanoparticle Aggregates for Tunable Electrical Conductivity." ACS Applied Energy Materials (2026).
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