A multiparametric study for size and stability of hybrid Fe₂O₃-NiO nanoparticles and their statistical transformation

Abstract

Bimetallic mixed metal oxide hybrid nanoparticles of iron and nickel are prepared via the co-precipitation method and are characterized by various techniques. Optimization of these nanoparticles involves finding the optimal synthetic conditions and parameters to achieve the hybrid material’s desired size, stability, and composition. The effects of the ratio of precursor salts, time of addition of reactant, pH, and the temperature for the synthesis of these mixed oxide nanoparticles are investigated. Concentration studies revealed successful synthesis of the hybrids with the controlled smallest size, at equal concentrations of precursor salts. pH and time of addition of reactant studies revealed the synthesis of least-sized hybrids at pH 13 and at a slow mode of addition of reactant. The optimal temperature at which hybrid nanoparticles are found at the smallest controlled size is 40 °C, whereas increasing temperature causes an increase in the size of nanoparticles. The hydrodynamic size and zeta potential studies are also evaluated through statistical models including probability distribution function and grow-decay model, revealing optimized points in terms of probability and the growth or decay of slopes. These studies can potentially demonstrate the optimized potential of these nanoparticles for a variety of applications including energy storage, catalysis, sensing, etc.

Graphical Abstract

HIGHLIGHTS

• Optimization of bimetallic iron and nickel hybrid oxides (Fe₂O₃:NiO) is achieved by variations in the synthetic parameters.

• Better control for size is observed at 50:50 concentration ratio of salts, higher pH and slow addition of reagents.

• 40 °C and 60 °C are optimal temperatures for better control in the size and stability of nanoparticles, respectively.

• Co-precipitated and manually mixed oxide nanoparticles show different behavior.

• Statistical models are applied to better understand and evaluate the size and zeta potential results.

PRIME NOVELTY STATEMENT

The optimization of bimetallic iron and nickel hybrid oxides is achieved by variations in the synthetic parameters, for which better control in size is observed at 50:50 concentration ratio of salts; slow addition of reagent, higher pH, and 40 °C and 60 °C are optimal temperatures for better control in size and stability of nanoparticles respectively. The statistical models are applied to better understand the results.

Keywords:

• Mixed metal oxides
• bimetallic oxides
• optimization
• probability distribution function
• Grow–Decay model

Disclosure statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Data availability statement

Data sharing does not apply to this article as no datasets were generated or analyzed during the current study.

Additional information

Funding

The research described in this article was financially supported by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan under the National Research Program for Universities with reference no. 20-3369/R&D/HEC/14/978 awarded to Dr. Ahson Jabbar Shaikh (principal investigator), and reference no. 20-14582/NRPU/R&D/HEC/2021 2021 awarded to Dr. Bilal Ahmad Zafar Amin (principal investigator) and Dr. Ahson Jabbar Shaikh (co-principal investigator).