In-situ deposition of hematite (α-Fe2O3) microcubes on cotton cellulose via hydrothermal method

Hematite microcubes with truncated edges have been successfully deposited on cotton cellulose via one-step hydrothermal process using anhydrous FeCl3 and glycine as Fe(III) precursor and chelating agent, respectively. The amount of glycine significantly affects the morphology and yield of hematite. The addition of 0.495 g of glycine to 50 ml of 0.1 M FeCl3 solution with 0.400 g of cotton resulted to hematite-deposited cellulose having similar to 15% hematite content. The reduction of glycine to 0.247 g increased the amount of hematite on the surface of the cotton cellulose to similar to 20% by weight. However, the hematite microcubes have a wide size distribution, with particle size in the range of 0.684 mu m to 1.520 mu m. Without glycine, hematite cannot be formed in the solution.