Synthesis and characterizations of nanosized iron(II) hydroxide and iron(II) hydroxide/poly(vinyl alcohol) nanocomposite

Nanosized Fe(OH) 2 was synthesized by a coprecipitation method. Peaks between 500 and 1250 cm −1 in Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy confirmed the presence of metal hydroxide stretching. X‐ray diffraction showed the suppressed crystalline system of Fe(OH) 2 /aniline (ANI) due to the presence of a higher weight percentage of the dispersing agent, ANI. Thermogravimetric analysis implied that 75.5 wt % of residue remained up to 800°C. High resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) analysis of Fe(OH) 2 /ANI revealed that its size ranged from 10 to 50 nm with a rodlike morphology. Scanning electron microscopy implied that pristine Fe(OH) 2 had a nanotriangular platelet morphology, and a higher weight percentage of dispersing agent intercalated with Fe(OH) 2 had a spheroid with an agglomerated structure. The (UV–visible) spectrum implied the presence of Fe 2+ ions at 326 nm and the existence of an amino group intercalated with Fe(OH) 2 showed a sharp peak at 195 nm, the intensity of which increased with increasing intercalated dispersing agent weight percentage. Photoluminescence showed that ANI‐intercalated Fe(OH) 2 showed a lesser intensity than the pristine Fe(OH) 2 . © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci, 2010