Structural and Magnetic Properties of Carbon-Based Nanocomposites Containing Iron Oxides: Effect of Thermal Treatment Atmosphere.

Carbon-based nanocomposites coated with iron oxides were synthesized using a wet impregnation method with thermally annealed coal and an iron nitrate precursor. The influence of the thermal treatment atmosphere (air, vacuum, or nitrogen) on the morphology, structure, and magnetic properties of the nanocomposites was examined by X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the vacuum thermal treatment produced carbon-based nanocomposite containing iron oxide with the highest crystallinity, according to XRD analysis, while also inducing the greatest degree of structural defects in the carbon matrix, as evidenced by Raman analysis.