Preparation: |
Hematite was synthesized by the addition
of 40 g of Fe(NO3)3*9H2O to 500 mL deionized water, 300 mL of a 1 M KOH solution, and 50 mL of a 1M NaHCO3 solution in a 1 L polypropylene bottle. The pH of the solution was checked to ensure it was above 8 but below 8.5. The suspension was then aged for 5 days at 98 °C, forming a red precipitate. Excess electrolytes were removed from both final solids by vacuum filtration and rinsing with deionized water. The resulting wet pastes were resuspended in deionized water and stored in clear polypropylene bottles wrapped with aluminum foil. |