Template-free synthesis of α-Fe2O3 microcubes and their magnetic property

Micro/nanostructured α-Fe₂O₃ microcubes were obtained by a facile template-free hydrothermal route. The as-obtained products were characterised by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and vibrating sample magnetometry. It is shown that the cubic structures are consisted of well-aligned α-Fe₂O₃ nanoparticles with a mean diameter of about 15 nm. Magnetic hysteresis measurement reveals that the α-Fe₂O₃ cubic structures display weak ferromagnetic behaviour with a remanence of 0.1164 emu/g and a coercivity of 1828.7710 Oe at room temperature. The formation mechanism of the -Fe₂O₃ microcubes was also discussed.