Synthesis of Monodisperse Al-Substituted Hematite Particles from Highly Condensed Metal Hydroxide Gels.

Monodispersed aluminum-substituted hematite particles were synthesized from concentrated mixed solutions of FeCl(3) and AlCl(3) using the gel/sol process. With increasing aluminum content (Al/(Fe+Al)) in the starting solutions, hematite particles became more and more elongated. The product particles exhibited ellipsoidal, rod- and peanut-like shapes, depending on Al concentration. Higher Al content (>20 mol%) in the system greatly suppressed the formation of hematite. Atomic emission spectrometry analysis and lattice parameter measurement confirmed the substitution of Al in hematite particles. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.