Migration of Iron Oxide Nanoparticle through a Silica Shell by the Redox-Buffering Effect

This study demonstrates that mineral redox buffer, an important concept in geology, can be used to manipulate the migration of nanoparticles and produce nanostructures of unexpected morphologies. Using a silica shell as a redox buffer, we show that iron oxide nanoparticles can be relocated from inside to the outer surface of the silica shell. The migration of iron oxide through silica was initiated by manipulation of the oxygen fugacity conditions at an elevated temperature. During the treatment, iron oxide was absorbed and then separated from the silica shell by the formation and then decomposition of iron silicate (Fe₂SiO₄). Tuning the relative dimensions of the iron oxide core and silica shell allows control of the shape of the iron oxide–silica composite structures. It is believed that the discovery of the nanoscale redox buffering effect can be extended to control the morphological configuration of other multivalent metal oxide nanocomposite structures by this particular type of template synthesis through manipulation of the chemical-transport properties of nanoscale templates.