Naureen Khanam, Nico Dix, Ana Vila Costa and Martí Gich have co-authored a new paper in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS). The study demonstrates a new strategy for synthesising high-aspect-ratio ε-Fe₂O₃ nanorods using rare-earth silicates as high-temperature surfactants. This approach allows precise control of the nanocrystals’ shape and growth, overcoming limitations of previous methods and opening new possibilities to explore the magnetic properties of this metastable iron oxide phase.

This article has been written in close collaboration with other ICMAB colleagues: Zheng Ma, Sergi Ortiz Ropero, Judit Oró-Solé, José Luis García-Muñoz, and Jordi Faraudo.