Preparation of graphene-Fe3O4 nanocomposites using Fe3+ ion-containing magnetic ionic liquid

Graphene-Fe3O4 (GN-Fe3O4) magnetic nanocomposites were prepared, GN-coated magnetic ionic liquid (MIL) as its precursors, which were used as both a magnetic resource and solvent. The method has proved to be valuable for the Fe3O4 nanoparticles (NPs) well dispersed in the solution through strong interactions with GN, which are of interest because of their stability and chemical properties. In the process, strong interactions creates a condition for uniform dispersion in GN and [BMIm]FeCl4 (MIL) solution, and accelerate the formation of Fe3O4 NPs. A transmission electron microscopy image has shown that the as-formed Fe3O4 NPs with a diameter as small as 5–7 nm were deposited on GN sheets. Furthermore, the final material showed a superior properties than conventional method, which can be ascribed to the fact that [BMIm]FeCl4 plays a vital role in the process of producing small NPs size.