SYNTHESIS AND CHARACTERIZATION OF α–<font>Fe</font>₂<font>O</font>₃ NANORODS BY A SIMPLE REACTION OF IRON AND WATER

A soft approach has been described for the formation of α– Fe 2 O 3 nanorods by simple reaction of iron with water at a very low temperature range of 100–300°C. It is shown that the nanorods have diameters ranging from 50–80 nm, and their typical lengths are in the range of 5–10 μm. The chemical composition and crystalline structure of nanorods were investigated by various characterization techniques. The initial formation and subsequent growth of α– Fe 2 O 3 nanostructures may be explained by the iron metal corrosion mechanism.