Highly ordered Ge-incorporated akaganeite (β-FeOOH): a tunnel-type nanorod

A highly ordered Ge-incorporated akaganeite with the atomic ratio of Ge/Fe = 0.14 and Cl/Fe = 0.11 was firstly synthesized through hydrolysis and acidification of a mixed solution of FeCl 3 ·6H 2 O and TEOGe (Ge(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 ) under the α-Fe 2 O 3 synthesis conditions. The newly synthesized Ge-akaganeite shows a monodisperse nanorod with 15-17 nm in width and ∼200 nm in length, the distinctly enhanced structural ordering and stability, and substantial differences in crystallographic and magnetic features. Here we propose a hypothetical akaganeite model with Ge occupying the tunnel sites as Ge(OH) 4 0 based on crystallographic and chemical analyses. A highly ordered Ge-incorporated akaganeite was first synthesized through hydrolysis and acidification of a mixed solution of FeCl 3 ·6H 2 O and TEOGe (Ge(OC 2 H 5 ) 4 ) under the α-Fe 2 O 3 synthesis conditions. The newly synthesized Ge-akaganeite shows a monodisperse nanorod with 15-17 nm in width and ∼200 nm in length, and distinctly enhanced structural ordering and stability.