AbstractThe xZnO-(1-x)alpha-Fe2O3 and xZrO2-(1-x)alpha-Fe2O3 nanoparticles systems have been obtained by mechanochemical activation for x=0.1, 0.3 and 0.5 and for ball milling times ranging from 2 to 24 hours. Structural and magnetic characteristics of the zinc and zirconium-doped hematite systems were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Mössbauer spectroscopy and conductivity measurements. Using the dual absorber method, the recoilless fraction was derived as function of ball milling time for each value of the molar concentration involved. As ZnO is not soluble in hematite in the bulk form, the present study clearly illustrates that the solubility limits of an immiscible system can be extended beyond the limits in the solid state by mechanochemical activation. Moreover, this synthetic route allowed us to reach nanometric particle dimensions, which makes these materials very important for gas sensing applications.
