Influence of TiO2 addition on the magnetic properties of carbon-based iron oxide nanocomposites synthesized using submerged arc-discharge

Abstract

The influence of TiO2 addition on the magnetic properties of Fe3O4 and carbon nanocomposites was studied. The nanocomposites were synthesized using a one-step submerged arc-discharge method in a liquid medium of 50% ethanol solution using two carbon electrodes. The magnetic properties of the resulting materials were characterized using a Vibrating Sample Magnetometer (VSM). The changes in the crystalline structures were studied using X-ray Diffraction (XRD). We confirmed that TiO2 addition caused no changes in magnetite phase Fe3O4. Several intense peaks in the XRD diffractogram at 2θ: 35.5, 43.1 and 57° corresponded to diffracted Fe3O4 magnetite panes of (311), (400) and (511), respectively. The hysteresis pattern of the magnetic properties analysed by VSM showed that the addition of TiO2 did not affect their superparamagnetic character. However, the TiO2/Fe3O4/C nanocomposites had higher saturated magnetization (Ms) than the Fe3O4/C nanocomposites without TiO2 addition.