Microwave-assisted synthesis of a superparamagnetic surface-functionalized porous Fe3O4/C nanocomposite.

An Fe3O4/C nanocomposite was synthesized in a microwave-assisted hydrothermal reaction. This green wet-chemical approach is simple, low-cost, and ideal for large-scale production. The resulting composite material was characterized by transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and UV/Vis spectroscopy. The product possesses porous structures and exhibits superparamagnetic behavior. Interestingly, its functional groups were inherited from the starting materials. This hydrophilic and biocompatible nanocomposite may find applications in catalysis, separation, adsorption, and bionanotechnology.