Easy synthesis and characterization of single-crystalline hexagonal prism-shaped hematite α-Fe₂O₃ in aqueous media

A simple, mild and environmentally friendly one-pot aqueous synthesis route using urea devoid of surfactant and chelating agents is demonstrated for the first time to fabricate high yield crystalline uniform hexagonal prism-shaped weakly magnetic α-Fe₂O₃ nanocrystals. As synthesized α-Fe₂O₃ nanocrystals show ferromagnetic behavior with coercivity values of 0.8 and 0.2 T at 5 and 300 K, respectively. The urea and reaction temperature plays a crucial role, regulating the morphology and the size.