Synthesis and characterization of mulberry-like Fe3O4/multiwalled carbon nanotube nanocomposites

Nanocomposites composed of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and Fe3O4 nanoparticles were fabricated using solvothermal method. Transmission and scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy, and X-ray powder diffraction measurements confirmed that these mulberry-like Fe3O4 microparticles which were combined with the MWNTs in a random pattern are constructed with tiny nanocrystallites (12 nm in average diameter). The magnetic properties of the Fe3O4/MWNTs nanocomposites were measured using a vibrating sample magnetometer. Results showed that the Fe3O4/MWNTs nanocomposites exhibited superparamagnetism at room temperature and possessed a lower saturation magnetization (around 27.6 emu/g) than that of the pure Fe3O4 nanoparticles (around 33.7 emu/g). The Fe3O4/MWNTs nanocomposites have potential applications in engineering and medicine.