α-Fe2O3 hexagonal cones synthesized from the leaf extract of Azadirachta indica and its thermal catalytic activity

facile and eco-friendly method for the synthesis of alpha-Fe2O3 in a hexagonal cone (HC) like morphology by the addition of Azadirachta indica (neem) leaf extract into the aqueous solution of ferric chloride has been developed. The morphology, optical, crystalline and structural properties of the synthesized alpha-Fe2O3 HC nanomaterials were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultra violet-visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Fourier transform infra-red (FTIR) spectroscopy, respectively. The alpha-Fe2O3 HCs synthesized by the A. indica leaf extract were used as a burn rate enhancer for the thermal decomposition of ammonium perchlorate (AP) and the combustion of composite solid propellants (CSPs). The thermal properties were evaluated systematically using TGA (thermogravimetric analysis), DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), burn rate data and activation energy calculations.