Hydrolysis precipitation synthesis of monodisperse α-Fe ₂O₃ nanorods/graphene oxide nanocomposites

A nanocomposite of graphene oxide supported by monodisperse rod-like α-Fe₂O₃ nanocrystals (GO/α-Fe ₂O₃ nanocomposites) has been fabricated through a simple hydrolysis precipitation route in a water-ethanol system. The nanocomposites were characterized by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectra and transmission electron microscopy, respectively. The GO/α-Fe₂O₃ nanocomposites are GO nanosheets decorated randomly by α-Fe ₂O₃ nanorods with diameters in the range of 3-5 nm and lengths of 20-30 nm, while only hollow α-Fe₂O₃ microspheres constructed by the radically oriented single-crystalline nanorods are observed in the absence of GO. Compared with pure α-Fe ₂O₃ nanoparticles, α-Fe₂O₃/GO nanocomposites exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity as evident from the degradation of rhodamine B in water under UV irradiation. The superior photocatalytic activity performance of α-Fe₂O₃/GO nanocomposites could be attributed to the synergetic effect between the conducting GO nanosheets and monodisperse α-Fe₂O₃ nanorods.