A Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) study of oleate adsorbed on magnetite nano-particle surface

Magnetite nano-particles were coated with sodium oleate and the spectral behaviour of the coating layer was studied by FTIR spectroscopy after the particles had been heated in air and argon. Magnetite was synthesized by controlled co-precipitation and subsequently coated with sodium oleate. Thermal analysis in combination with mass spectroscopy was carried out to support the FTIR spectroscopic interpretations, but also to monitor the decomposition and surface reaction of oleate adsorbed on the magnetite surface. It was deduced from FTIR and TGA results that the oleate molecules are bonded to iron atoms by a bidentate mononuclear complex and form essentially a single layer with a distance between oleate molecules of ∼36 Å2. It was shown by IR as well as Raman spectroscopy that oleic acid, when heated in air, undergoes decomposition implying that new carbon–oxygen bonds are formed. Heating the iron oxide–oleate system in air also implies oxidation of the double bond at the C:9 position of the alkyl chain and formation of intermediate oxygen-rich molecules. An enthalpy change of ΔH = 49.86 J/g was obtained for oleate desorption/decomposition at ∼350 °C under argon atmosphere and a carbonaceous graphitic species resulted from this decomposition.