One-step solvothermal synthesis of Fe3O4@C core–shell nanoparticles with tunable sizes

We report the synthesis of Fe3O4@C core–shell nanoparticles (FCNPs) by using a facile one-step solvothermal method. The FCNPs consisted of Fe3O4 particles as the cores and amorphous uniform carbon shells. The content of Fe3O4 is up to 81.6 wt%. These core–shell nanoparticles are aggregated by primary nanocrystals with a size of 10–12 nm. The FCNPs possess a hollow interior, high magnetization, excellent absorption properties and abundant surface hydroxyl groups. A possible growth mechanism of the FCNPs is proposed. The role of glucose in regulating the grain size and morphology of the particles is discussed. The absorption properties of the FCNPs towards Cr(VI) in aqueous solution is investigated. We demonstrate that the FCNPs can effectively remove more than 90 wt% of Cr(VI) from aqueous solution.