Hydrothermal synthesis of porous α-Fe2O3 nanostructures for highly efficient Cr(VI) removal

Porous α-Fe2O3 nanostructures with different morphologies, such as rod-like, sphere-like and cube-like nanostructures, were successfully synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method. The obtained products were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), selected area electron diffraction (SAED) and nitrogen adsorption. It was found that iron precursors played a crucial role in the formation of porous α-Fe2O3 nanostructures. The porous α-Fe2O3 nanorods possessed largest BET surface area and ideal pore distribution, as well as exhibited excellent Cr(VI) removal capacity and a fast adsorption rate in a wide pH range. Moreover, porous α-Fe2O3 nanorods also showed excellent adsorptive ability for organic dyes.